Tales of the Kunoichi: Formation
by Yasha-HebiHime
Summary: A single difference in birth, a difference in place, can change the entire future of the world... Naruto Uzumaki, known as the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, is born female... But her desire is to have more control over her life and to find out who exactly she is supposed to be. Is she a killer? A protector? Or... A Ninja?
1. Setting the Scene

Tales of the Kunoichi: Formation

A single difference in birth, a difference in place, can change the entire future of the world...

AN: I know, I'm an idiot and should be working on other things. But I just sort of... lose myself sometimes when I make things public. I regret making choices, but I can't take them back the way I want. This story, however, will be written in a different style. I will not be simply writing it chapter by chapter, but as a whole. I will not publish any new chapter without re-reading it like three times. I actually didn't even _want_ to submit this, but while writing the last 20 or so pages in a day, I figured I should stop being stingy with my work. Someone may get inspired by it!

But let's go over a few things, two things in particular I want to make clear: **Naruto is female in this story, and the home she lives in is different than the canon.** This is important, so I figured I'd make it bold. Also, I know I'm a bit of a chunky writer. I try to put in details I probably don't need... But that's just how it works out. Sorry, but I hope I space it out enough to not annoy anyone too much.

This story will take inspiration from other forms of writing. Ranma ½ in particular.

I do not own Naruto, though I wish I did... If only so I could have kept Kishi from forgetting everything.

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

* * *

It was spring in the Land of Fire and it showed with the cherry blossoms falling down through the village of Konoha. It was a rarity that the trees bloomed, even in such nice weather, but it was a pleasant occurrence, so no one could complain. Well, there was one person who could.

That person was Naruto Uzumaki; the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi and up coming Kunoichi of Konoha. The girl was widely known among the villagers, for both her prisoner and her looks, but not so much her skills. Her looks were a thing of envy among most of her fellow academy students, even if she 'ruined' them by wearing a bright orange jump suit all the time.

Her bright blonde hair and blue eyes more than made up for her choice in wardrobe and currently her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, reaching past her shoulder blades. Normally it was in two loose pigtails, but today she needed her bangs out of her face and the dark green goggles she normally wore were unfit to the task, leaving them dangling around her neck.

With a sigh, Naruto pulled up her broom from it's resting place on the roof of her large apartment complex and began to sweep away the cherry blossoms that had drifted onto her home. Normally this would fall to the land lord to do, but the man had passed away from old age two years ago, leaving no one to the task. Also, while Naruto was not privy to the reason, she was currently the only one that lived in the complex, despite it having eight separate apartments built into it and one 'extra' room that the land lord had originally lived in.

With the land lord gone, and no one willing to move in to own the place, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, decided to give all rights to the building to one Uzumaki Naruto. This meant she had to take care of it, but until she received a steady income the Hokage had stated he would take care of all payments, so long as she took care of the building.

Which she did everyday by cleaning up messes people would leave nearby, either on purpose or accident though she was unable to tell the difference, and replacing tiles on the roof when the rain wore them down. Another example was when the floor in one room, one she did not even go into regularly, completely fell through and she repaired it. It was a patch job, of course, but through events like that the blonde slowly grew in skill when it came to repairing, though getting the supplies needed was a task on its own.

The building was a large brown building near the edge of Konoha's living area. It was rectangle in shape with a curved triangle roof, and there were five doors on the bottom half of the building. The one on the very far left of the building, if you were staring right at it, was a square shack that was added to the house and thus did not really match the rest of it.

In front of that, however, was a set of stairs that led up to the remaining four apartments, all carefully measured to be directly above the doors below. All of the apartments were similar, with a small living room, a bed room, a bathroom, and a small rectangle kitchen. Despite their lack of use, the apartments still caused Naruto a bit of annoyance as something seemed to go wrong with them here and there.

Currently, however, her only task was to clean off the cherry blossoms before she had to go to class and hope that the wind changed direction after she left. Of course, the blonde still had a number of chores to do around the building, such as repairing the large fence in the back yard, but they weren't critical.

The academy, however, was critical and Naruto knew she couldn't be late again. Iruka, a scar faced Chunin, was a slave driver when it came to attendance. He even went so far as to drag Uchiha Sasuke back to class after he disappeared for a week, much to Sasuke's humiliation even though Naruto was the only one that knew and that was only because she had been dragged along side him.

A clacking sound resounded throughout the area as Naruto dropped her broom, letting it slide off the roof and land on the balcony below; soon followed by it's handler who landed beside it with a light step, careful not to land on the tool. "Alright." The blonde said aloud, smirking as she hopped down from the balcony and onto the walk way below. "Works done, time to go to class."

With that, she spun on her heel and began to walk down the street with her hands in the pockets of her orange jacket. It wasn't until she reached the more populated area that she pulled her hands free, forming a single seal as she walked. In an instant, the medium-sized blonde with bright blue eyes was replaced by a tall brown-haired man with a gray shirt and silk pants on.

The 'man' grinned lazily as he made his way through the crowd that paid him no mind, excluding a vendor that tried to catch his attention to sell him something as he walked past. Naruto had taken a liking to the _**Henge**_ Jutsu and especially this form in particular. The image she wore had a simple expression and body, one you could forget easily.

Normally whenever she walked past someone, they would glare at her, but not with this face. She wasn't blind and it hadn't taken her long to realize they only glared at her, so she created another persona. It was hard to do, at first, but she did spend several years in the academy to perfect her Jutsu and Iruka always made sure everyone knew how to do the Jutsu before moving on.

Speaking of Iruka, the Chunin was currently standing outside the academy with a smile on his face and a collection of his students in front of him. Naruto frowned in confusion at the sight but allowed her _**Henge**_ to drop when no one was looking and made her way into the field. The brown-haired Chunin seemed to notice her approach as he waved at her with a smile. "Welcome, Naruto. You're on time today." The man teased slightly, earning a grin from the Kunoichi to be as she stood in the back of the class.

Several eyes turned towards her but she paid them no mind as she grinned at Iruka. "I made sure that black cat didn't cross my path this time." She joked, placing one hand on her hip as she unknowingly took a page from a silver haired Jounin. Iruka simply rolled his eyes in response, causing Naruto to grin further. "So what's this all about Iruka-Sensei? A field trip?" The last words were said teasingly.

Ninja didn't take field trips.

Iruka chuckled and shook his head, pulling up a paper that she had not noticed before. "I was just getting to that, actually, so pay attention everyone." Clearing his throat, Iruka began to speak while Naruto took a spot beside a certain Hyuuga heiress in the small crowd that had formed. "Today will be a special training exercise to evaluate where you stand. We'll be testing all of your knowledge to see if you're ready for the exams in two weeks." The Chunin explained, though his voice was slightly monotone as he read from the paper in his hand.

"And if we fail the expectations?" One boy asked with a lazy tone to his voice and Naruto couldn't help but roll her eyes as she glanced at the one who spoke, Shikamaru Nara. Notoriously lazy and, if it wasn't for his extreme brain power, probably the worst when it came to actual tests. He didn't do the minimum, per say, but he didn't do the best he could do either.

Iruka gave Shikamaru a small smile, but it seemed like he had expected a question like that. "Well if you're deemed not ready, you might have to be held back but you'll still have to take the exam later either way. This is more of a test to let you all know where you stand and what you need to improve on in two weeks time." Shikamaru nodded and turned his head towards the clouds, seeming satisfied with the answer. Iruka sighed slightly as he saw this and quickly added, "but you have to participate for a grade." _That_ got the Nara groaning, but he didn't say anything.

A couple of chuckles went through the crowd and Iruka waved his hands to get their attention back when they subsided. "We'll be going through Taijutsu first, so I'll be splitting you into partners to spar against one group at a time. No weapons, Jutsu, or crippling blows are allowed." There was a series of murmurs among the students, but it was Naruto that raised her hand, a frown on her face. "Yes Naruto?"

"Where's Mizuki-Sensei?" The blonde asked simply, as in previous Taijutsu tests they would have Mizuki and Iruka both watch them to cover more than one battle at a time. The fact that he wasn't here explained why they were doing one bout at a time, but it still raised a lot of curiosity as the white haired Chunin had yet to miss a day.

It seemed the rest of the class shared Naruto's curiosity as their gazes turned towards their Sensei expectantly, causing Iruka to sweat slightly from all the eyes on him. _'This is why I wanted a small class.'_ He thought to himself before answering Naruto's question with a smile, "Mizuki has an allergy to a certain plant nearby, so he can't come to class until it's removed." It was a bit of a lie, as Mizuki was actually already affected by the plant, but the students didn't need to know that.

Seeing the students satisfied, if not a little confused by his answer, he began to read off the paper once more. "The first two up will be Chouji and Naruto." There was a look of surprise on the student's faces, since the bouts were usually gender based, but Iruka didn't acknowledge them as he walked away towards the fields to the side of the academy. "This way."

When the students arrived to the field, most of them took to leaning or sitting against the five posts that were used for kunai practice while Chouji and Naruto stood in the center of the field with Iruka between them. "You may begin when you two are ready. Remember, no crippling blows, weapons, or Jutsu are allowed. I'll call the match when it's over. " Both nodded and Naruto grinned at the Akimichi, her eyes squinting slightly while she held up the "Seal of Confrontation."

"Don't hold back, big guy. I won't either." Chouji smiled in return and nodded his head while holding the Seal up himself.

"Sure, Naruto." With that, Naruto rushed towards Chouji and swung at punch at his chest, which he blocked with his left arm. It was rather surprising when Chouji slid back slightly from the blow, since most people couldn't get the Akimichi to move in most spars. The only ones not surprised were the females in the group who had been on the receiving end of Naruto's punches.

However, Naruto wasn't done with just one punch and soon began to swiftly punch at the boy, keeping him guarding and sliding back with each punch. Chouji was grunting from the throbbing in his arms and couldn't help but marvel at the girl's strength. _'It's like she's hitting me with a hammer.'_ He thought to himself before deciding that being completely defensive wasn't going to help him.

With a loud grunt he shoved his arms outwards, sending Naruto skidding back with a grin on her face. Not wanting to waste his chance, Chouji quickly closed the small distance and sent a heavy punch towards her mid section. The girl turned to her side, letting it fly past her chest before spinning around, slapping the side of Chouji's head with her right arm.

To his credit, Chouji only flinched from the pain and the ringing in his ears before wrapping his arms tightly around the girl, literally squeezing the breath out of her with her back against his chest. Naruto struggled in his grip but after a moment she just seemed to relax, placing her head back on his shoulder with a lazy grin on her face. "My, I didn't know you were so forward, Chouji-Kun." She breathed out, causing the boy's grip to lessen as a heavy blush spread across his face.

As he began to sputter out denials, Naruto gripped his arms and suddenly slung him over her, getting a glance of his surprised expression before he hit the ground with a _oof_. Naruto grinned down at him, her hands on her hips and her ponytail sliding over her shoulder. "Got you." The blonde teased, just as Iruka walked up to them with an amused smile on his face.

"Good work, both of you. I'm sure you could go on longer, but we're pressed for time." The Chunin explained and Naruto nodded, stepping to Chouji's side and helping the boy to his feet. The two held up the "Seal of Reconciliation" as their battle ended.

Chouji, still blushing, made his way towards his friend Shikamaru who gave the larger boy a flat look. "I can't believe you fell for that." He deadpanned, though years of being his friend allowed Chouji to see the boy was amused.

"I couldn't help it." The Akimichi meekly replied, glancing at Naruto who hopped on top of one of the wooden posts. She seemed to notice his look and gave him a grin, which caused his face to turn a brighter shade of red before looking away.

Shikamaru, noticing the exchange, just snorted slightly. "Well, you best get used to it. Women do that a lot. Troublesome." It was the Akimichi's turn to snort, though he had a teasing smile on his face despite his current embarrassment.

"Like you would have fared any better, Shikamaru." He lightly teased, as the Nara boy seemed to have a weakness when it came to women. He didn't do much work unless one of the female classmates yelled at him to 'Get his ass in gear.'

Shikamaru chose not to respond.

On Naruto's side, Ino rolled her eyes as the blonde grinned at Chouji while Hinata and Sakura made their way to the center of the field. "Geez, Goldie, what was that about?" The Yamanaka asked with a trace of annoyance in her voice while she used her pet name for Naruto. Hinata, Naruto, Ino, and Sakura were all friends, with Sakura and Ino reaching out towards the Sasuke Fan Club, while the other two didn't speak to anyone else for the most part.

Ino had met the girl years before in the playground and the two quickly became friends, even though Ino's father had seemed nervous during the first few months, but he seemed to get over it. After that, the two met Sakura and protected her from a group of bullies who were tormenting her. Hinata was another matter entirely, but it seemed like Naruto protected her from two boys that were picking on the shy heiress and the Hyuuga looked up to Naruto ever since, though she did seem to blush a lot whenever she spoke to the blonde.

At Ino's words, Naruto turned her gaze down towards her long-time friend and grinned further, showing off her sharp teeth. "Nothing, really. I learned it from a Kunoichi in the hot springs. She said everything is a weapon, especially a woman's body." Ino rolled her eyes again but didn't respond, deciding a simple shake of the head was all that was needed.

In truth, Naruto had only learned it in passing and the Kunoichi in question probably didn't even realize an academy student took her advice. Naruto just happened to be in the hot springs, under a _**Henge**_ of a much older woman, when a Kunoichi was explaining something to a new brown-haired Genin.

" _You're good at throwing kunai, but remember everything is a weapon." She heard the Kunoichi explain, though Naruto couldn't make out any features through the steam of the hot springs. "Like your body, for instance. If you throw that around like a kunai, there's no telling how many kills you'd get."_

 _The Genin didn't seem to enjoy that and it was evident in her voice. "Sensei, that sounds a little... whorish." There was a bark of laughter from the older Kunoichi but it quickly fell into small giggles before the Kunoichi was able to respond._

" _That's why you have to be in control. Control is key. Throw it around, but only let them touch what you want them to touch... See what you want them to see. A little husky voiced comment here and there can throw someone's concentration off. Seduction is a key principle to being a Kunoichi, so get used to it."_

Naruto had taken her words to heart, especially the control aspect. _'So many things are out of my control'_ The blonde thought to herself as she watched Hinata dodge a punch from Sakura and counter attack with a palm thrust. _'So I'll control... everything.'_ She vowed in her mind, just as Iruka called the match when Sakura barely got back on her feet.

The rest of the tests went on very normally and other than the Chouji/Naruto match there were no more matches against the opposite gender. Ino fought a red-head named Ami on a rather even level, but Ino ended up being the victor. Sasuke fought Kiba to a stalemate, though with both using the academy style instead of their clan styles, it was hard to see who was better.

Shikamaru and Shino went against each other last, but without either using their clan specialty, it resulted in a rather long match with the two playing their wits against each other. In the end, Shino won by feinting a kick for the first time and sending Shikamaru skidding across the ground.

"That's enough." Iruka called out, writing something down on the paper as Shino helped Shikamaru to his feet.

"You fought well, but relied too much on me staying in the academy style." Shino quietly stated, earning a nod from the Nara as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Yeah, though I'd never beat you with those bugs of yours. Can't hold all of them and you." It was true, but Shino just raised his eyebrows slightly.

"I'm sure you could have worked around it."

"Too troublesome." Was the curt reply, earning a small chuckle from Naruto who had hopped over towards them.

The blonde grinned at them as they turned their heads towards her as her arms draped around them, startling Shino more than Shikamaru since no one usually got near him outside of a spar. "Nice fight you guys! I knew you had it in you, Shika." The blonde teased, sticking her tongue out at the pineapple headed genius who just rolled his eyes.

"I don't want to be the dead last. That would be way too troublesome." Naruto blinked in confusion at the odd reply and allowed the Nara to walk away towards Chouji. The blonde turned a questioning gaze towards Shino, not bothering to move her arm that was still draped across his shoulders.

Shino sighed, squirming slightly as he began to answer her unspoken question. "He says this because the dead last will be placed on the Rookie of the Year, male and female. Why you ask? To help balance the team strength." Naruto frowned, pulling her arm away as she crossed it in front of her chest, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"What? That's stupid." Shino arched his own eyebrows slightly, placing his hands into his pockets as Naruto spoke. "Why would they do that? I mean, shouldn't they take our personal skills and attitudes for account? Sakura is going to be the Rookie of the Year because of her brain, but..." She fell silent but Shino knew what she was going to say.

Though Naruto was Sakura's friend, even she had to admit the girl was awful at Taijutsu. She was decent with her aim and her Ninjutsu was passable, but she had an awful attitude, even though her friendship with Naruto, Ino, and Hinata had mellowed her out quite a bit. There was no doubt she'd be placed on Sasuke's team as well, since he was the strongest male, which would only further her infatuation with the last Uchiha.

Shino shook his head slightly and sighed in a rare show of emotion as confusion etched itself on his face, though few would recognize the look. "I don't know. Perhaps it is so the Sensei can focus more on the dead last?" It was merely a theory, but by the looks of it Naruto didn't accept that answer.

"I'll have to talk to Jiji about this." She muttered to herself, not noticing Shino's eyebrows raise again before falling back down as she looked up at him. "Thanks though, Shino! And good fight, maybe we should spar some time." She grinned happily and began to walk away with Shino staring at her back. He was tempted to follow her, but Iruka stepped in his way and called the attention of the rest of the class.

When they were all gathered in front of him, Iruka glanced to the sky before nodding and looking down at them. "Alright, that took longer than expected and it's nearly lunch time so you're all dismissed. I have to report to Hokage-Sama so you all may go home early today." There was a 'Whoop!' from Kiba and several others, though the Chunin noticed Naruto's frown and he repressed one of his own.

They could go home, but Naruto didn't have a home to go back to, did she? That sent a faint wave of depression through him but he kept his smile on his face as the students began to walk away. He was rather surprised when Naruto stood in front of him, her hands on her hips in that defiant manner she usually only did when she was serious. _'This can't be good.'_

As if she was privy to his thoughts, Naruto's eyes narrowed and she pointed up at the Chunin, as if accusing him of something. "Take me with you to see Jiji. I need to talk to him about team placements." Iruka blinked in confusion and arched his eyebrows slightly.

"About the team placements? What about?" His question was just met with a shake of the head as the blonde lowered her hand.

"I don't want to repeat myself, so just take me there Sensei. Jiji won't mind." Iruka wasn't sure about that, but he supposed there was no harm in it.

With a sigh, he nodded his head, causing the blonde to break out in a grin. "But can it wait until after I give my report?" Naruto shrugged and the two headed for the Hokage Tower.

* * *

"Hokage-Sama will see you now, Iruka-San, Mizuki-San." Said the ever cheerful secretary of the Hokage. The two Chunin, one brown haired and the other white, nodded and rose from their seats in the room, walking into the Hokage's office soon after. The owner of that office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked up with a smile on his face as the two Chunin entered the room.

"Welcome, Iruka-San, Mizuki...?" The last word fell into a confused tone as the white haired Chunin closed the door behind him. Hadn't the Chunin taken the day off because of his allergies? Hiruzen's unspoken question was answered when the Chunin disappeared in a poof, only to be replaced by a blonde that he had grown to love. "Naruto-Chan, what are you doing disguising as a Chunin?" The God of Shinobi asked with an amused tone, politely putting his pipe away since he had company.

Naruto just shrugged and sat down in one of the seats that were always present in front of the Hokage's desk. He had a lot of visitors, after all. "That woman doesn't like me and I wanted to show Iruka-Sensei my _**Henge**_." Iruka chuckled, taking his own seat while Sarutobi raised his eyebrows.

"I had thought you went through a Ninjutsu test today?" The old man questioned with a faint frown on his face.

"Ah, we ran out of time. The Taijutsu test took longer than I thought it would, even though I cut Chouji's and Naruto's match short." Iruka explained, silently hoping his leader wasn't too upset. Fortunately, Naruto chose that moment to speak up with a loud whine.

"Whaaaat? I thought it was weird! Darn it, Iruka-Sensei! I wanted to fight more." Both of the older Shinobi chuckled at her childish tone, though it was Hiruzen who responded to the distraught girl.

"I'm sure Chouji-Kun wouldn't mind sparring with you sometime, Naruto-Chan. Now, Iruka, what do you have to report?" He was also curious why Naruto was here, but he was sure the girl would tell him eventually, even if he didn't ask.

Iruka nodded, pulling up the paper he had written on earlier and beginning to read off it, taking a moment to stand up to be more respectful to the Hokage. "We only did the Taijutsu test today, but I'd say there are only a few student's that won't pass that portion of the test. The only one I can see improving to fix that is Sakura Haruno, since she is nearly on par with Ino Yamanaka who gets right over the score needed."

Naruto frowned, thinking back to her pink haired friend who denied training her body more in order to chase after Sasuke. While Naruto had managed to keep Ino and Sakura from hating each other, mostly by slamming her hands down loudly whenever they began to argue over him, she wasn't able to break the obsession. Ino was slightly better than Sakura because of her father forcing her to train a minimum amount every day, but Hinata and Naruto both trained constantly and it showed.

So lost in thought, Naruto completely missed Iruka's telling of the other students that probably wouldn't pass, but didn't miss his report on her specifically. "Naruto here got a high grade in the Taijutsu test. Her movements are a little sloppy and she over committed in one attack, but she manipulated her opponent when she was at a disadvantage." Hiruzen chuckled softly at Iruka's report while a grin split across Naruto's face.

"Didn't see it comin'." She proudly stated, still grinning wide.

"It wasn't something I expected either from you, Naruto." Iruka admitted, smiling himself. _'Reminded me a bit of Anko, actually.'_ He kept that thought to himself as he looked towards the Hokage with a proud smile on his face. "She's also really good at the _**Henge**_. She even got a few of Mizuki's habits down." Naruto blushed slightly from the praise, scratching her cheek.

"Ah, I just noticed he taps his foot a lot when he's waiting on something." Usually for Iruka, admittedly, but she had noticed he'd tap his foot whenever someone was delivering something to him too. There was no point in 'being' him without knowing some of his habits and seeing Mizuki out with Iruka raised the least amount of suspicion when they were walking down the street.

Hiruzen seemed to realize this as well as he gave her an appraising look. "Very good, Naruto-Chan. It's impressive that you would consider all of that." Iruka gave him a slightly confused look while Naruto blushed more under the praise, lowering her head slightly to hide her face in her jacket.

Iruka chuckled slightly at her actions and nodded in agreement as he realized what changing into Mizuki had really done for the blonde. "If it wasn't for her history tests and the _**Bunshin**_ she'd probably be Rookie of the Year." Iruka stated proudly, but at the mention of the "Rookie", Naruto perked up and stared at the Hokage with wide eyes.

"Oh yeah! I was going to talk to you about that!" She couldn't believe she nearly forgot. Darn Iruka-Sensei getting her distracted. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, the blonde Jinchuuriki pointed dramatically at the man she called Grandpa. "The Rookie of the Year thing is stupid. Don't put teams together like that!"

Silence followed her statement and, if one listened closely, they could only hear a faint snicker of a hidden ANBU nearby. Iruka paled and Hiruzen stared at Naruto with an amused smile on his face. Naruto's face was slowly getting redder from embarrassment but her eyes stayed determined and she continued to point at him.

It was a few more moments before he responded, a curious and amused tone in his voice. "And why is that, Naruto-Chan?" He was honestly curious. It was the first time anyone had ever questioned the way the academy worked ever since he took up the mantel of Hokage. The fact that it was coming from an academy student was rather amusing.

Naruto put her hands on her hips and the expression on her face gave away that she was anything but amused. "You're not taking their actual skills into consideration!" She proclaimed and was secretly patting herself on the back for reading the collection of books the old land lord left behind. A dictionary was a wonderful thing for her limited vocabulary. "Iruka-Sensei said himself that I'm really good, but my book smarts aren't so that's why I'm not Rookie, but Sakura is getting Rookie on that alone!"

"Now Naruto, just because you're not getting Rookie because of that doesn't mean..." Naruto snapped her fingers, interrupting Iruka in a rather rude fashion that had him gaping in surprise.

"Not what I was saying! I'm saying she's super weak and she's going to get paired with Uchiha." There was no way to keep the venom out of her voice from saying the name Uchiha. He had, without even trying, crippled her friends... Plus he was a total dick. "She's got a fan girl crush on him and that's gonna make her even weaker." The blonde explained and Iruka groaned silently, glancing towards the Hokage for assistance.

The Hokage, however, simply stared at the blonde with a thoughtful look on his face. He stroked his beard for a moment before speaking up. "And how would you place the teams, Naruto-Chan?" Naurto blinked in surprise, having not thought he'd let _her_ , of all people, say her opinion. Even if he did seem to like her a lot, and he was her Jiji, no one ever listened to her.

It was nice.

But, back to the point, Naruto rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she considered the Hokage's question. "I don't know all the students in my class personally." She admitted, starting to pace back and forth in front of the two. "But I'd say, from the people I do know, I'd probably put Sakura and Ino far away from Sasuke." She tapped her foot twice and sat down, crossing her arms together.

"Kiba should be with Sasuke, they seem to like each other. Maybe put Shino with them for planning, he's really smart." She leaned back, humming to herself. "Shikamaru needs someone that can push him, so probably put him with Ino or Sakura, maybe both." She grinned at the image of a dismayed Shikamaru being paired up with Ino and Sakura, but she shook her head to clear the thoughts.

"But they'd probably fight each other, so maybe not. Hinata is really good at Taijutsu, but she's kind of meek so she wouldn't do well with Shika. Chouji can't be with Shika since he'd let his friend relax too much..." The blonde hummed quietly. "But Shika also needs a distraction and Sakura is pretty good at control things. I think she could use Genjutsu right?" She didn't even look up to see Iruka's thoughtful nod.

"I dunno though, but you should take that instead of the Rookie thing. That's just silly. I mean, why put Sakura up with the heavy hitters? She needs someone to push her..." _'I only wish I could have.'_ The blonde thought silently but raised her head from it's dangling position to look at Hiruzen.

The Hokage was thoughtfully rubbing his beard, a small smile on his face. "I can see you put some thought into this, Naruto-Chan. I'll consider it, but you have to understand that tradition isn't something that can be undone easily." Naruto blinked owlishly at him and tilted her head to the side, frowning.

"Traditionally, I don't like my friends being hurt because some old guy said to do something a certain way." Iruka palmed his face while Hiruzen chuckled slightly.

"I wasn't under the impression I was that old, Naruto-Chan." The Hokage teased, causing the blonde to blush in embarrassment.

"I didn't mean you! I meant... you know! The guy who set that up."

"That was me."

… "What?" She blinked and frowned further, scrunching her nose up in an adorable fashion. "But... Doesn't that mean it's not tradition? No one did it before you told them to." Hiruzen blinked and then nodded slowly, chuckling.

"I suppose it wasn't always tradition... At any rate though, Naruto-Chan, Iruka, I have a meeting soon. It was nice talking to you two and I will consider your words, Naruto-Chan." Naruto nodded and smiled, hopping to the side of the desk and wrapping her arms around the old Hokage before joining Iruka at the door.

Iruka bowed politely and started to open the door just as Naruto turned back into Mizuki with a small puff of smoke. "See you later, Jiji." The 'man' cried out childishly, which got him a strange look from the secretary and a chuckle from the old Hokage and Iruka.

When they left, Hiruzen slowly reached under his desk and pulled out a familiar orange book. _'Time for my meeting.'_ He thought with a grin.

* * *

AN: There you have it. Chapter 1.

It gets more serious, just to warn anyone tuning in... But it also doesn't. Second chapter will be up sometime after this one, but not in the same day.


	2. Prank Central

AN: I'm conflicted on how to release these chapters, so I'm just releasing them whenever I feel like it and however I feel like it.

I'm surprised this has so many views already. Hopefully the following chapters won't turn people away.

 **A fair warning: This chapter will feature adult themes, though nothing even close to sexual intercourse.** I say this because I don't want to censor myself. That being said, because of rules, I will not be posting any sort of scene like that.

But I can still imply it.

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

* * *

Naruto hummed to herself as she slammed her hammer down on a stubborn nail, pushing it further into the surface of her wooden balcony. When she was finished she stepped back to examine her work, nodding to herself as she saw the piece that had come loose was back in place.

She had instantly gone to work when she returned home, thankful that the wind had changed and blown all the cherry blossoms off her roof. They were now scattered across her backyard, but that was fine. The roof was more noticeable so it was the primary problem.

Now she was officially done with her chores, but it was only mid day. _'Train, or prank?'_ She thought to herself as she pulled her goggles up from her neck, letting the them cover her eyes as she grinned. _'Why not both?'_

It wasn't a known fact that Naruto was an infamous prankster, only because no one could prove it was her. With a mixture of _**Henge**_ and her own stealth techniques, Naruto was a constant form of amusement for many Shinobi... until they were the target.

And today, Naruto picked a hard target to test her limits and, more importantly, improve her skills. _'Everything is training'_ She thought as she hopped down from the balcony with a smirk on her face as she recited a line she read in one of the land lord's private manga stash. It was actually his nephew's stash, but when he died on a mission the land lord took them for himself as a reminder.

The manga had been rather weird, but interesting and very combat heavy. She intended to implement the training the main character did into her own style, but she had not made it far enough to really get to the training parts, but she had taken the main character's words to heart. _Everything is training._

So, with that in mind, she made her way towards the Hokage tower.

* * *

Her target, however, was not the Hokage tower itself, but the building beside it that was secretly known as the Torture and Interrogation Force, or T&I for short. The building itself wasn't actually the source of where any actions of the T&I took place, but a gate way to it.

The only way through it was a series of check points but there was no way Naruto could get past them; she knew she wasn't that good. The only reason she knew about it in the first place was because of the rare times she was brought down into the area, usually in her younger days, during her birthday. Those times had stopped years ago, but the memory of being given a cake by the Hokage was something that stuck out in her mind.

But she didn't need to get in there per say. She just needed to make sure no one got in there with their hands clean, so to speak.

With that in mind, and a grin on her face, Naruto transformed into her 'forgettable' body double and walked down the street beside the building with his hands stuffed into his gray pockets. Right as he turned the corner, he ducked down and transformed again, changing into a black suited female that she based off the silhouette of the Kunoichi she had gotten advice from in the hot springs.

Her body was completely covered in black cloth, other than her eyes and nose, but was well endowed and had bright yellow eyes that were covered by a pair of black goggles to block out any unwanted light.

She kept to the shadows of the building as she approached, though her taller body had to bend slightly to avoid the window on the side. Carefully, she made her way around while keeping her ears pricked for any sound from inside. There was only a faint tapping sound, like a pencil hitting a desk. Bored secretary, maybe? She'd have to do some heavy stealth for this one.

And by heavy stealth, she meant completely breaking the laws of stealth by being as obvious as possible.

With a swift movement the girl kicked a nearby rock into the air and then grabbed it, tossing it straight through the window, which was open, before slipping to the side to avoid detection. There was a loud crash and a scream of "What the hell!?" before a purple haired Kunoichi slammed the door open an growled, looking back and forth. "Damn brats... That's it, I'm done with this. Ibiki can kiss my ass." The woman growled out, her gray trench coat nearly hitting Naruto in the face as she slid across the ground beside the woman.

Thankfully, the purple haired woman was far too annoyed to even notice the person invading the building and Naruto slipped inside without interference. Naruto sighed to herself as she noted the broken flower pot with a rock in it, the same one she had thrown, and that the building looked oddly... tame for a place where torture victims went through.

There was a single desk, two doors, one being wide open since she just came through it, an three windows. What Naruto instantly noted was the vent above the desk and she hopped onto the desk, staring up at the vent. In a flash, she pulled out an all-purpose screw driver that she usually used to fix her house and began to unscrew the grate. She caught it before it fell and hopped through the vent, transforming back to normal as she did so.

She pulled the covering up and pulled it back in place, though she knew it would only be a matter of time before it fell again, but hopefully it would be long enough. With her time frame in mind, she hastily made her way through the vent.

When the Vent began to ramp downwards, Naruto was forced to slide down on her stomach but she kept her movements slow, making as little noise as possible. She grinned as she began to hear voices but it was only when she reached the next grate that she could make them out completely and she stared down as she heard a harsh voice yell.

"Tell me what you know!" It was a man, that was obvious, with a large black overcoat and a black cap resting on his head. She knew him by... Ibiki? He had talked to her once, during her fifth birthday, but she couldn't remember what was said. He was speaking to another man this time, but she couldn't make out the features, just a mop of brown hair that seemed to have dried blood in it.

Naruto wrinkled her nose in disgust from the smell but watched as the man whimpered, clearly in pain.

"Still not talking?" Ibiki sounded curious, if not confused, of the man's lack of response. "Very well... We have all night, after all. No need to rush things." With that, he took out a kunai, but even from her distance Naruto could see a flash of green reflect off of it.

 _'Poison.'_ Her mind supplied, just as Ibiki made a move to cut the man on his arm. He seemed to know it was poisoned as well, because he suddenly started to scream.

"N..No! Anything but that! Not again! Please! I'll talk!" He had been through it before? So it wasn't deadly poison. Naruto tucked that information aside as she watched in fascination as Ibiki took a small step back away from the man, enough to keep the poison from dripping on him but not enough for Ibiki to not reach him.

"Speak." It was a command and the man readily obeyed.

"We.. I was from..." He paused, gulping something down. "No, no no. I can't. Please, I can't." The man pleaded, but his only response was a sigh from the tall man.

"I asked you politely, you refused. I asked you harshly, you refused. My patience is running thin. You have five seconds."

"Please, I can't..."

"Four..."

"They'd kill me for sure..."

"... And I won't? Two."

"But you were just at four!"

"One." That was the last straw, but just as the man was about to cry out, his voice was cut short as it erupted in a painful scream when Ibiki drew the knife across his cheek. Naruto put her hands over her mouth as she saw the man start to violently convulse on the ground and she gulped down the bile that was beginning to gather.

Throwing up on him would reveal her location. Force it down. Move.

She commanded herself, controlled her own body, to move forward slowly. The man's screams were the only thing that kept her own heavy breath from being heard and when they finally died down she let her head rest on her hands.

This was what Ninja did? She could see why they were feared, but at the same time, did she really want to be part of that? To be part of a ruthless machine of killers and torturers? She hadn't really thought about it, she just went along with what the Hokage suggested. Did she want to be like Ibiki?

… _'He was so scary.'_ She thought to herself, biting her lip. Could she be like that? … Did she want to be? The Hokage wasn't scary, but she never saw him against an enemy. Was he scary too? Did she want to torture people like that and become scary?

 _'But he was in control.'_ A voice purred in her head like a cat, causing Naruto to stiffen up with wide eyes. _'He handled that entirely. Beginning to end, he was in control. He knew the man wouldn't talk, but he needed to establish that he wouldn't forgive him if he didn't get the information. Don't you want to control information?'_

What would Naruto do if she was in control? Find out why people hated her? Figure out the best way to become a Ninja? Torture people to get what she wanted, for the people she cared about?

 _'No time'_ Another voice snapped, breaking into her thoughts. _'We're on a mission. Think later, act now.'_

Nodding to herself, Naruto pushed her body forward, ignoring the bit of tears going down her cheeks as she made her way through the vent. It was a few moments later that she found what she was looking for; a hidden locker room meant for the ANBU, both T&I and normal, to use for their equipment.

Grinning to herself, Naruto slowly undid the bolts holding the grate in place and moved it to the side, being as quiet as possible. After it was clear, she hopped down into the room, knowing that it was clear from the lack of heart beat. While she wasn't sure where her keen hearing came from, she did know she could hear heartbeats of the ANBU, even if they were trying to be very quiet.

With none in the room, she clapped her hands together with a grin and pulled out a small scroll from the inside of her jacket. She unrolled it and then pushed on the seal written inside, pulling out several bottles and a lock pick kit which she opened first, putting the bottles to the side. She clicked the lock picks together and smiled as she made her way to the lockers with her plan in mind...

It was ten minutes later when she began to pack up her belongings, sighing to herself. _'That took longer than expected.'_ She thought to herself as she turned to close the last locker. She paused as she heart the tapping of feet coming from outside the door and she hastily shoved herself into the locker, using a broken pick, which she had intended to throw away, to block the lock so she didn't get trapped.

The door open right as the locker closed, showing two ANBU with a cat and tiger themed mask walking into the room. Both were obviously female and this was made even more apparent when they suddenly removed their cloaks, revealing their naked bodies underneath.

Naruto's jaw dropped but she hastily put her hands over her mouth as she watched the two pull off their masks, revealing a purple haired woman, though different from the one she saw earlier, and a black haired one staring at each other.

"I can't believe I agreed to that dare. That was embarrassing." The purple haired woman stated in annoyance with a blush on her cheeks as she began to open up a locker that was thankfully not the one Naruto was in.

The black haired woman just laughed, a grin on her face. "Oh hush, Yugao. You got some appreciative looks when the wind hit." Naruto couldn't see Yugao's face anymore, but the black haired woman was getting into the locker beside Naruto's, which caused the blonde to duck just in case she was seen.

Yugao growled slightly and Naruto heard the slamming of a locker. "Shut it, Mizumi! I don't want to hear that from you." There was a bark of laughter and the sound of another locker closing before Mizumi began to speak again and Naruto dared to look up.

"You always say that, but I know you liked it. It's over anyways, so let's get dressed and get back to work." Yugao grumbled something and Naruto felt her cheeks heat up as the two began to dress in front of her, though they had no way of knowing that.

After all, who looked in a locker?

As if hearing Naruto's thoughts, Mizumi suddenly stiffened up and looked behind her towards Naruto. Naruto felt her heart beating faster as the woman walked closer, only to bend over before reaching the locker to grab at something on the ground.

"What's this bottle?" She asked as she stood up straight, holding a black bottle up for Yugao to see. "It just says 235 on it."

Yugao just shrugged, not even pausing in her actions as she pulled a vest on. "I don't know. Maybe it's one of Tori's hair things? You know how she is about her hair." Mizumi hummed and shrugged, tossing the bottle to the side and beginning to pull her clothes on.

When they were done, both of them put their masks and cloaks back on before leaving the room, talking quietly amongst themselves.

Naruto sighed in relief and pushed the locker open, quickly closing it soon after and grabbing the discarded bottle that she left behind. After that, she jumped upwards and grabbed the rim of the open vent, climbing inside and quickly closing and replacing the bolts on the grill.

With a grin on her face, Naruto made her way outside.

* * *

It was hours later until the Jinchuuriki's 'prank' was revealed and another twenty minutes when the affected ANBU, and Ibiki, were gathered inside the Hokage's office. Kakashi, who had been giving a business report when the ANBU rushed in, was also present and was currently standing to the Hokage's side with a blank look on his face. Had anyone bothered to learn his facial expression, they would know that he was trying very hard not to laugh.

The Hokage, however, had no problems with laughing.

It was unnerving to see the old man laugh so loudly, but it was probably justified. It wasn't every day that the most feared organization in Konoha ran into his office wearing a varying series of colored cloaks. Pink with purple swirls, blue clouds and red stripes... Some even had pictures on them, bright pink pictures, of the female body... But only for a few select males of the ANBU, though there was one female that had the picture as well.

Their masks were thankfully untouched, they were hard to replace after all, but it didn't matter in the end. They were humiliated either way and it showed in the dejected way they held themselves, excepting for Cat and Tiger who seemed to have been spared.

As his leader's laughter began to die down, Ibiki pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned against the wall, sighing. "So, before Hokage-Sama loses it again, please explain what happened... Rabbit?" He turned his hard gaze to the ANBU wearing a rabbit mask and a dark green cloak with bright orange carrots drawn on it. It was extremely embarrassing, but it was better than the alternative.

"Four hours ago, a majority of the ANBU had gone to the locker room located under the Torture and Interrogation Force and either swapped out or put on their equipment. Two hours later, it was revealed that someone had put itching powder, among other irritants, inside the chest plates, pants, and shirts that the ANBU wore." That explained why they were wearing the cloaks. Either they were naked under there, or were wearing personal clothing that could help enemies identify them since they came from their own closet.

Rabbit was not done, "The images on the cloaks appear to be slow appearing, as it wasn't until the third hour that the images began to appear. It took another hour to gather all the affected ANBU, though Owl is currently in the process of washing off the itching powder and is not present." With his report finished, Rabbit took a step back and allowed Ibiki to step into his place in front of the amused Hokage.

Ibiki had a grim smile on his face that would normally make people on the other end cry. The Hokage did not, and Ibiki knew he wouldn't. Hiruzen was one of the few people Ibiki could admit he could probably never break.

Not that he wanted to.

With a sigh, Ibiki spoke, "I don't think I need to point out what is wrong with this picture, Hokage-Sama. The ANBU base, which no one should know about, was broken into, trapped, and our ANBU were completely made fools of... And no one noticed a damn thing." That was what really irked Ibiki, because he recognized the paint. He knew it worked after three to four hours or if hit with water, which meant that whoever had done it had done it while he was in the building.

That pissed him off, and no one liked a pissed off Ibiki.

Hiruzen seemed to understand as he let his amused smile drop, replaced with a considerate frown as he took a puff from his pipe. "Do you have anything to go off of?" He asked simply, trying to keep the new wave of information from making him lose his focus. While the situation was extremely amusing, it could have been disastrous. A trap or two, a delayed explosion tag, anything, could have been placed on those cloaks instead of drawings...

Were they really so lax in security?

Ibiki's words cut through his thoughts but it didn't make the situation any better, "Only some. Anko was watching the desk for me and she told me someone threw a rock through the window and smashed a pot. She never saw who it was." Hiruzen nodded and Ibiki turned his gaze towards the other ANBU, silently asking them for any input.

Tiger was the one that stepped up with Cat behind her. "I found a bottle in the locker room labeled 235. I had thought it was a harmless hair care product. Bear's, in fact." All eyes turned towards the last female member of the ANBU who had long brown hair going down to her waist and she stared at them blankly through her bear mask.

"It was not mine, but the number 235 is the color number for pink." She looked down at her own cloak which was a bright pink with silver fish drawn on it. Childishly drawn, as a matter of fact. There was a sigh from Ibiki who stared expectantly at Tiger.

"So where is this bottle?" When the ANBU didn't respond, the head of T&I turned his gaze towards the rest of the ANBU. "Did anyone else see this bottle?" Only Cat stepped forward and Ibiki sighed louder. "Cat was with Tiger when they visited the locker room... and they found a bottle. But now the bottle is gone and no one recalls seeing it... Which means either the culprit came back..."

"Or they were there the whole time." Tiger whispered, a feeling of dread in her stomach. Cat seemed equally distraught, if not more so. Cat was, after all, a sensor. Failing to notice someone like that would mean she failed at her job. Not to mention the fact that, whoever had done this, saw them both naked if they were still there.

There was hell to pay.

The Hokage chose that moment to stand up, placing his hands behind his back as he stared at the ANBU collected in his office. "We do not have enough information, but due to the harmless nature of this prank I will ask that you do not apprehend the culprit if you find them. But do find them." He looked around with a faint smile on his face. "Search for any clues you may have missed. It's likely they left something else behind. But, if anything, we should thank whoever did this for pointing out the flaw in our defense. Figure out how they got inside, so we can fix the hole. Dismissed."

With that, he sat back down and slowly the ANBU teleported or walked out. Ibiki was the last out, giving a respectful nod to his Hokage before closing the door and leaving Kakashi with Hiruzen.

"Now, you were saying, Kakashi-Kun?"

"Ah, right..."

* * *

Chapter 2, complete. A bit shorter than the previous, but it seemed like the best way to split them up. The next one will be up sometime next week, unless I suddenly get like 20 people saying 'Update it /right now!/' or something.


	3. Academy Days

AN: Here we go again. A bit earlier than intended, but I felt I /did/ go a bit overboard in saying a week. I decided to just get to a certain milestone in the 'main' file before I uploaded the 3rd chapter.

Thanks to all who have read so far, but I would like some reviews about how I can improve that doesn't include telling me to go watch something.

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

* * *

"Hey, guys, Naruto's out there again!" A childish voice called, resulting in a majority of the males that heard it to dash over towards the window of the large Ninja academy building. Their teacher was out, and it seemed Iruka had decided to test everyone's Ninjutsu and aiming, resulting in that class being outside.

Naruto, however, had already finished both and was currently pounding away at a training dummy located to the side of the field away from every one else. She took her jacket off, unknowingly giving the males a good view of her assets as she hammered away at the dummy.

While she wasn't as developed as, say, Hinata she was still one of the most developed in the academy, which was a constant source of envy among most of the up coming Kunoichi wannabes. Naruto didn't even seem to care, which got her a few points of respect from the males...

Even if they were a little too young to understand exactly why they were excited when she landed a kick.

Still, even if she had known they were watching, Naruto would not have stopped. She was too focused on her target, landing blows that would cripple a human, but only sent the dummy back slightly.

She growled in annoyance as she slammed a powerful blow into it's mid section, following up with an upper cut that just tilted the dummy's head back. It was made to take far stronger blows than Naruto could provide and it was the young Tsunade who tested their endurance.

Three hits from the super powered Sannin was all they were able to get, no matter how powerful they made it.

But Naruto wasn't put off by the fact that she couldn't break it. It was great training and a way to pass the time until her friends were done with their training.

So she kept punching and kicking away until she heard someone approaching her and she used the leverage of a kick to spin herself around and lean against the dummy to see who it was. Her azure gaze met Hinata's lavender and she grinned at her friend, causing the shy Hyuuga to blush slightly.

"Hey Hinata, how'd you do?" The blonde asked casually, kicking her jacket up from it's spot on the ground and catching it.

Hinata couldn't help but marvel the fact that Naruto didn't seem tired at all despite the speed and power she was showing. She quickly cleared her thoughts though, knowing Naruto would grow concerned if she took too long to answer.

"Good, Naruto-Chan. I got a perfect on both." Naruto smiled at her friend and quietly noted that Hinata would probably be, hands down, the Rookie of the Year if it wasn't for her test scores.

She, like Naruto, seemed to have a problem with written tests no matter how much either studied. One would expect the heiress of a clan to know all about Konoha's history, but what she was taught in school usually conflicted what she learned at home, which resulted in a very confused heiress.

This only further proved to Naruto that the Rookie of the Year system was stupid, but this wasn't the time or place to bring that up.

"Wanna spar while we wait? Don't think Sensei will mind." The blonde asked, tossing her jacket onto the dummy she had just pounded away at. If it had any complaints, it didn't voice them.

"Um... They're almost done, so..." Naruto nodded her head and sighed, stretching with her hands above her head.

"Ahh... I wonder if Sensei would let me go home early? I need to set up things in my back yard..." It wasn't unknown in their small group of friends that Naruto was an orphan that lived alone, or that she did her own chores.

None of them really understood, or saw, what Naruto did since they had never been to her home, but she never mentioned her back yard before.

"What are you going to do, Naruto-Chan?" Hinata asked with a curious tone, her head tilted to the side.

Naruto grinned as she jerked her thumb back towards the dummy she had just covered with her jacket. "I ordered a training dummy yesterday. Going to set my back yard up to be a training field." Hinata's eyes widened in surprise but Naruto didn't see it as she turned her attention towards the dummy in question.

The Hokage had set it up for her to be able to get her own training field if she took care of the building for two years... which she did. She hadn't reminded him in person, but she knew the old man remembered. Having a sudden delivery of a lot of wood she knew she didn't order was her clue to that.

Her back yard was perfect for a training field too, especially since it was intended to be large enough for eight small families to use.

It was about the size of the building itself and had a large fence surrounding it, keeping out any unwanted visitors, and two trees rested in the top left and in the middle of the yard.

Iruka's voice interrupted her thoughts as he approached them with the rest of the class trailing behind. "There you two are. We're heading back inside until lunch, then you'll have to do the written exams." Naruto groaned loudly, pulling her jacket on with a frown.

"But Iruka-Senseiiiiiii, you know I'm going to fail anyways. Can't I just go home? I need to work on something." Iruka frowned, crossing his arms as he stared at his blonde student as she zipped up her jacket.

"Now Naruto, you know information is vital to..."

"Vital my butt." She interrupted, snapping her fingers in an annoyed fashion. "I don't need to know about how the second Shinobi war went. You don't even tell us about the battles, you just say who won and the political out come of it." Iruka's frown deepened as he puts his hands on his hips.

"Wasn't your goal to become Hokage, Naruto? You need to know politics for that." Naruto blinked, recalling a time in her earlier years where she proudly stated she would be the next Hokage.

 _'He controls everything.'_ She thought to herself, giving Iruka a flat stare. _'No, not everything. But he's definitely important.'_ Outward, however, she simply said, "No, not really. Not old politics. By the time I'm ready to take that hat, the world will change. It's not going to wait on me."

Iruka's eyebrows raised and he sighed, shaking his head. "You still need to know them Naruto, so come on inside. You _do_ need them, so don't argue. It's part of your test, you won't graduate if you don't know the answers." Naruto frowned and let out an annoyed huff.

"Whatever, Sensei." She grumbled out, not noticing Hinata's hand reaching out to her to comfort her as she ran towards the building.

Surprisingly, she went for the wall instead and she began to jump up the side of the wall, using windows and holes in the wall for supporting her feet. The rest of the class watched in silence as she hopped into the class room window, unsure of how to react to such an odd action.

Scaling her building constantly and climbing into buildings for her pranks gave her considerable skill in climbing, though she usually never showed off in class since 'climbing' wasn't exactly important.

Still, she had to admit it was rather satisfying being the only one in the class room for once and she grinned to herself, propping her legs up on the desk.

Iruka was the first back into the class room and he glared in annoyance at the blonde when she shot him a grin. "That was reckless, Naruto. You could have fell!" The Chunin scolded, causing her grin to fall into a frown as she considered his words.

"I could have, but I didn't. Besides, I'm going to be a Shinobi, right?" Involuntarily, her mind flashed back to the convulsing man in Ibiki's torture chamber and she gulped down the bile that came from the memory. "They're scarier than a fall."

Iruka blinked at that, unable to give an honest retort so he just made his way to his desk silently. Sakura, having heard the exchange, let out a teasing _hmph_ as she approached her friend, sitting down on the right side of the desk and leaving the middle seat between them open. That was reserved for Hinata.

"When did you get so smart, Naruto?" The pink haired girl teased, though inwardly she was just rather curious about why Naruto said that. **'She had a point, CHA!'** Her inner self noted, punching in the void that was her mind scape. As usual, however, Sakura made a point to ignore her 'inner' self.

Hinata sat down between them just as Naruto's grin appeared back on her face as she tilted her chair back with her feet. "Eh, I'm always smart, Sakura-Chan. Don't be like that." Sakura rolled her eyes slightly.

"Yeah, smart. Like the time you drank milk past the expiration date?" Naruto's face turned sour at the memory an she huffed.

"A fluke. It sounded fine and I was half asleep." The two girls beside her giggled at her and she let out an annoyed huff, but quickly returned to grinning. She couldn't stay mad at them.

"Anyways! You two wanna go out for ramen today? My treat." Sakura frowned slightly and Ino, who was sitting in the desk below them with Shikamaru and Chouji, since the seat beside Sasuke was taken by Ami, looked up at the trio.

"Not going to invite me, Goldie-Chan?" Naruto laughed softly, scratching behind her head.

"I don't mind if you come, but I can't really treat everyone, you know."

"Ramen is kind of fattening..." Sakura pointed out, but it was halfhearted, and she was on the end of two hard stares as soon as she said it. She sighed as Naruto began to speak.

"It's fattening, yeah, but if you train it burns off fast."

"It's filling and the energy is needed." Hinata added, as usual. Every time eating habits were mentioned, Ino and Sakura were scolded by their more serious friends.

The constant way they did it was slowly wearing the two down, especially with Hinata and Naruto having the best figures out of everyone in the class, despite their lack of diet.

Still, they weren't even done. "You can get vegetable ramen if you don't like meat."

"But meat gives you the needed protein, and if you're camping I doubt you'll survive on berries."

"Isn't there fish ramen too?"

"I'm not really a fan of fish, but yeah. I still eat it because it's good, and fish might be the only thing I can eat at some point." That was Naruto, always the realist. Ever since she found those Shinobi books in her land lord's old house, she was the one pointing out the dangers of being a Shinobi.

"You guys are making me hungry." Chouji complained, even as he munched down a handful of chips. Naruto, having been opening her mouth to continue her rant, let out a snort of laughter, staring down at the Akimichi with a smile.

"Sorry, Chouji. But you should get on them too! Out of everyone here, you know how helpful eating is." That _could_ be taken the wrong way, but with Chouji being an Akimichi and as kind hearted as they come, he just smiled.

"Well... It is really important. It's more important for an Akimichi since we use our fat to attack but... if you don't take care of your body the right way it'll shut off later." That got owlish stares from the females, even Hinata and the chubby boy rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well, that's what I heard at least. If you diet too much your body won't grow properly. It's fatal for a Ninja."

It was fatal for everyone, really, but Ninja pushed their bodies to the limit every day. If they didn't eat enough, or properly, it might not have enough strength to recover from most actions. Like being cut up, for instance.

Sakura and Ino sighed, their heads drooping. "Fine, we'll go." Naruto grinned and nodded her head, watching as the students began to walk out of the room. The 'test' had been surprisingly short, especially for a 'final' test, and it seemed Iruka didn't mind the chatter while they worked.

"See you guys there then." Naruto said with a smirk before suddenly hopping out of her seat and diving forward, surprising the sleeping Shikamaru as her hands rested on his head for an instant, using it as a spring board that sent her forward, landing in front of Sasuke who was still sitting down.

If Sasuke was surprised, he didn't show it, but he did look up at Naruto as she jumped off his desk and through the window she had originally came into the room with.

He half expected to hear a crunch from her hitting the ground, but a moment later he saw her running away from the school without even a limp.

"Troublesome woman..." Shikamaru grumbled out, rubbing his head as he made his way towards the door. "What is her fascination with jumping off my head?" Chouji just gave his friend a pitying smile, since it wasn't the first time Naruto had used Shikamaru for a spring board. She usually didn't jump out the window though.

"I think she wouldn't do that if you weren't laying down all the time." Ino supplied, smirking as she made her way past the lazy Nara.

"I need sleep."

"Lazy ass."

"Troublesome woman." That got him a glare but he just gave her a blank stare, causing her to roll her eyes. She'd never understand him.

It wouldn't do to keep Naruto waiting, the girl was annoyingly impatient, so Ino didn't reply and chose to speed up to reach her destination instead. Sakura, however, stayed behind, staring longingly at Sasuke who was, in turn, staring out the window silently.

"Um.. Sasuke-Kun, would you like to join us?" She knew Naruto wouldn't like that, but the blonde had said she had no interest in stopping her attempts with the Uchiha.

Sasuke didn't respond or even acknowledge that she had said anything, but she could see from the reflection of the window that he seemed to actually consider it for a moment before shaking his head. "No." Sakura visibly deflated, but nodded and turned towards the door.

"I'll, um... see you next time then, Sasuke-Kun."

"Hn." Was his only reply, leaving Sakura dejected even further as she walked out of the room.

"Always the ladies man." Came a sarcastic voice, causing Sasuke to sigh in annoyance.

"Shut up, Kiba." Kiba just grinned, putting his hands behind his head as he walked towards the door with his trusty dog, Akamaru, tucked in his jacket. Out of everyone, only Kiba and Naruto seemed to get under Sasuke's skin but Naruto just seemed to stop caring about the Uchiha. Kiba, however, liked to tease him and fight him.

He was a great sparring partner, but teasing him was the best part.

"Would you have gone if Naruto asked?" Kiba prodded, leaning against the door frame as he stared at the brooding Uchiha. In truth, he liked the blonde himself. She was 'feisty' as his sister put it. But other than Hinata, she was the only girl that ignored Sasuke and she didn't interact with Kiba much.

"No." Kiba's grin widened, knowing that getting an answer, even a simple one, from the Uchiha meant something more. A Hn meant he didn't care, but an answer meant he cared slightly, even in a negative way.

"If you say so. Must've been a great view when she landed on your desk though." Sasuke didn't react to the teasing, but Kiba snickered anyways. "See you later, Sasuke. I'll beat you next time."

"Hn."

* * *

"Wheeeeee..."

"Naruto, stop that."

"Aw." Naruto pouted at Sakura and stopped spinning in her stool. "But I was bored and my ramen isn't here yet."

"You literally just ordered." Ino chided, a frown on her face at her friend's antics.

"So loooooong." She whined, causing everyone to either smile in amusement or roll their eyes. Their group consisted of Sakura, Hinata, Ino, Naruto, Chouji, and surprisingly Shikamaru who had simply followed his friend out of instinct. Now they were all sitting in Ichiraku Ramen, waiting on their orders.

Chouji chuckled slightly and turned in his spinning stool to say something to Shikamaru when a loud squeak went through the air, causing him to blush in embarrassment as he stared down at the seat. Did he break it with his weight? That would be extremely embarrassing.

Surprisingly, it was Naruto who seemed to understand his embarrassment as she got out of her seat. "Ah, no worries Chouji. That sounds like one of the screws came loose. I can fix it. Stand up please?"

Chouji blinked in confusion but stood up to the side, watching as Naruto pulled a screw driver from the inside of her jacket and slid her head under the stool, pushing her screwdriver into the bottom of it a moment later.

"Didn't take you for a fixer type, Naruto." Shikamaru noted as the girl stood up, spinning the stool experimentally with her hand. It didn't rotate as fast as before, but it didn't squeak either, causing Naruto to grin in accomplishment as she put her screwdriver up.

It wasn't until she sat back down that she responded to Shikamaru's words. "I have to be. Jiji gave me the whole building I live in so I have to take care of it." She flipped a strand of hair over her shoulder, smiling at the Nara's bewildered expression. "No one likes to live with me, so I take care of all the rooms and make sure they don't fall apart. It's not too hard, but I've learned a lot."

Mostly through trial and error, but he didn't need to know that part. It would be embarrassing to admit she had hammered her thumb more times than she could count.

Thankfully, her fast healing fixed the bruise and lessened the damage in a day, but it still hurt.

Sakura smiled at her friend, playfully punching her shoulder. An old gag between them. "So why do you own the building? Shouldn't the land lord take care of that?" Sakura hadn't heard the story of why Naruto owned it, only the blonde knew that one.

Naruto hummed to herself and shrugged, fiddling with the goggles around her neck. "He died two years ago, I think. I never really met him, but Jiji said he didn't have any relatives and no one lived there but me, so he gave it to me. He's taking care of the payments till I get income." The Jinchuuriki explained, a smile on her face.

Shikamaru, however, frowned. Why give an academy student their own building? And who could pay for something like that? "Who's Jiji, Naruto?" He asked, rather bluntly, and she gave him a surprised look.

"Hokage-Jiji is Jiji, duh." She seemed genuinely surprised Shikamaru hadn't known that. Apparently, no one knew that, because everyone was giving her wide eyed looks now.

"The Hokage is your grand father!?" Sakura managed to get out, her eyes wide at the implications. She thought Naruto was an orphan, but if she was related to the most powerful Ninja in the village... Then why was she so... poor?

Naruto just shook her head, chuckling, unknowingly answering Sakura's question. "Sort of. I mean, I'm an orphan, so not really. He's just always been there for me, I guess." _'Not enough, but he was there.'_ She kept that thought to herself though. No need to make them worry about her. "I call him Jiji cause he likes it and calling him Hokage seems silly."

As the ramen was finally finished, having taken rather long due to Naruto, Chouji, and surprisingly Hinata ordering a vast amount, their attention was brought to the food rather than Naruto's situation. Shikamaru, however, had no problems multitasking and could not help but consider what Naruto had just told him.

She was given special treatment by the Hokage, was never adopted like most orphans, and was given her own apartment complex because no one wanted to live near her?

Something fishy was going on, but Shikamaru had no idea where to even begin looking. It also seemed that Naruto had not made the connection, but he was sure she knew something was wrong deep down. She was rather bright, even if she acted childish.

It'd be troublesome, but he knew he had to figure it out to sate his own curiosity. If it helped Naruto out in the long run, maybe he could get her to stop using his head as a spring board.

One could dream, and that's all Shikamaru did.

* * *

It had taken a week, but the results were in and Naruto couldn't help but grin at her accomplishment.

Her back yard, which had been bare except for the trees and grass, was now complete with standard training equipment.

There were logs buried in the ground for target practice, three to be precise, a Tsunade Tested training dummy against the tree in the center, but most importantly there was a wooden shack she had made herself.

It wasn't extremely sturdy, but it was enough for her uses. Inside of the shack were a few tables, a tanning rack, and a shelf for scrolls she made herself.

The rack would probably not be used for anything for a long time, since she was rather rusty at being a hunter, but the shelf was another matter. It had several openings, enough to hold about thirty scrolls, and the top was already full of her own personal sealing scrolls.

They were empty right now but she had two more that held all her tools in her jacket. She had planned on turning the shack into a workshop of sorts, though only as a front.

In truth, she planned on turning one of the apartments into her true workshop when she got more into crafting. She was already decent at it, but not enough to make anything original or without guides.

It didn't help that she didn't have an infinite amount of resources either. _'Wish I had that wood creating bloodline.'_ The blonde thought but didn't dwell on it too much. Wishing wouldn't get her anywhere.

She began to move towards her shack when she felt a presence behind her and instinctively put her hand into her pouch even as she turned to see who it was.

The last time someone had sneaked up on her they tried to pummel her with a sake bottle, though they didn't even seem to know who she was.

She relaxed seeing the cat mask, though the memory the mask brought up caused her to blush. She forced it down before turning completely towards the ANBU, a curious look on her face. "What's up Cat?"

If Cat was put off by the lack of manners, she didn't show it, though it was hard to show anything through the mask. Instead, she simply held her hand out towards the young Jinchuuriki. "Hokage-Sama wishes to speak to you, Naruto. Come with me." Naruto blinked but shrugged, grabbing her hand and allowing Cat's chakra to wrap around her.

It was an interesting experience to use the _**Shunshin Jutsu**_ (Body Flicker) without actually using it. Though she doubted she'd ever get the control needed to use it on herself and another person, it was still fun to experience.

Her trip was ended when they finally reached the Hokage's office and Cat let go of Naruto's hand, much to the blonde's disappointment, though she was careful to not show it. That wouldn't do.

She turned her gaze towards where the Hokage sat with a smile, only to pale as she saw the tall imposing man standing beside him with his hands behind his back.

The scarred man brought the memories of his convulsing and screaming victim back, and Naruto once again had to swallow the bile in her throat. _'Stay in control. You can't react like that every time you see him. How are you going to handle anything else?'_

With that in mind, Naruto hopped up onto a chair and smiled at the Hokage, though she did give Ibiki a nervous glance. "What's up?"

Sadly, it wasn't the Hokage that answered he, but Ibiki, "About a week ago, an ANBU locker room was broken into and... sabotaged."

Naruto arched her eyebrows, as if the information surprised her, and Ibiki continued. "We didn't know who did it, or why, but we got one clue that led us to you, Naruto Uzumaki." So did they actually know, or was he trying to stay in control?

It was rather amusing to see the tall imposing man hold up a few strands of blonde hair, as if threatening her with them. _'Everything is a weapon. He could turn those into senbon.'_ That was an alarming thought, but it had been done in a book.

The main character had infused his hair with chakra and then cut it, sending needles of death everywhere. The book was based off actual occurrences, so she wasn't about to right off his ability to hit her with the senbon.

Still, she wouldn't give in, even if it was something so trivial. "What's that have to do with me again? It's just blonde hair. I'm not the only blonde in the village, and it could have been someone from outside the village." It was a slightly desperate attempt to push suspicion off her and it didn't seem to work as Ibiki growled in annoyance.

"No one has this shade of blonde but you."

"That's debatable, Ino's hair looks just like mine when it's not bunched up." Not a lie, but not the truth. Ino's hair was paler than Naruto's, even singularly, but they wouldn't know that without comparing them.

The Hokage chose that moment to speak up, though she could tell he was amused by her resistance, "Naruto-Chan, you aren't in trouble. We just want to know why you did it."

"And if we don't like your answer..." That was Ibiki and Naruto resisted the urge to snort in amusement. Good Ninja bad Ninja? Another classic. It was in almost every book where the character was interrogated.

Should she come clean? It was rather trivial and she knew they already knew. Still, this was kind of fun. "I didn't do anything. You know me, Jiji, I go home and work on my house when I've got free time, or train. I don't have time to do silly pranks." None of her pranks were silly and she always counted them as training, so she wasn't lying.

If anything, the Hokage's amusement seemed to grow while Ibiki seemed even more annoyed. "Listen here, brat, sneaking into the T&I and into an ANBU protected zone is punishable by law, even to a civilian like you. Do you really want to try your luck in lying to the Hokage?"

Instead of being intimidated, as he intended, the girl just snorted, glancing at him. "If it's ANBU protected, why do you think I was able to sneak in? I'm not even out of the academy." She turned her gaze towards the Hokage and leaned back, a smile on her face.

"Even if I did, and I'm not saying I did, it's obvious that you guys didn't protect it very well if it took you a week to find any evidence... Crude evidence at that. That could be anyone's hair, dyed or transformed." She was quoting a book now, but they didn't know that.

Hiruzen started to chuckle loudly, glancing towards Ibiki out of the corner of his eye. "I told you she would be interesting, Ibiki." Ibiki snorted in response but nodded his head, much to Naruto's confusion.

"Indeed. I had expected her to yell out denials, not a well reasoned one."

Hiruzen simply smiled and turned towards Naruto with a knowing look in his eyes. "Did you do it, Naruto-Chan?"

"Huh?" She looked over at her 'grandfather' and nodded, crossing her arms with an innocent expression. "Yeah, it was fun."

"So you were lying to the Hokage the whole time?" Ibiki growled out, but Naruto just shot him a bewildered look while Hiruzen's smile grew.

"What are you talking about? Jiji never asked if I did it or not, you did. I didn't lie to anyone but you. Last I checked, you're not the Hokage." Ibiki blinked a few times, unsure if he heard what she just said correctly, before chuckling slowly.

"Alright... I'll admit kid, you're pretty good. It takes some guts and brains to work around me like that." Of course he was sure he could break her easily in the usual methods, but this wasn't a very serious matter, so he didn't take it seriously. Still, there was one thing that had to be found out... "How did you get in though?"

Naruto frowned slightly, seeming to consider not telling him before shrugging her shoulders. "I distracted your secretary by throwing a rock in the window." Ibiki snorted at hearing Anko described as a 'secretary', but said nothing. "I was going to go through the window after she ran out but she just kind of left so I walked inside."

Looks like he owed Anko a stern talking to as well.

"After that I just went through the vents. It was pretty straight forward from there..." She paused and Ibiki frowned as she paled again, glancing towards him nervously before she seemed to calm herself. Ibiki sighed softly, crossing his arms.

"Did you see something you didn't want to see?" It was a simple question, much like all of the ones he had asked her, but this one caused her to flinch before meekly nodding her head. He hoped she hadn't seen anything, but she was showing signs of it. What had he done that day?

"It.. I saw you poison that man." The blonde whispered, shaking slightly in her seat. "It was... a little scary. The way he screamed..." Hiruzen frowned and Cat placed a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder which seemed to steady her emotions as the shaking stopped. "But, I dunno.. It was kind of cool."

That got everyone staring at her in confusion and Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of her head. "I mean, you were in control, and it was cool. It was scary, but you were doing it for the village right? And you probably got the info you wanted without a fight next time." When Ibiki didn't answer, she shrugged and rubbed her chin. "Anyways, where was I?"

She snapped her fingers after a moment of thinking, "Oh yeah, I got into the locker room through the vent. After that I just did what I wanted, no one was around and I wasn't making enough noise to draw attention. Only Cat and Tiger came in, but they were just grabbing a change of clothes."

Naruto ignored the tightening hand on her shoulder and she grinned, rubbing the back of her head. "I got lucky there, I hid in a locker."

With her story finished, Naruto began to squirm in her seat, "So can I go? I was in the middle of working." Hiruzen hummed thoughtfully while Ibiki began to write on a piece of paper, no doubt copying down what Naruto had said.

"I suppose that would be alright. Thank you for telling the truth, Naruto-Chan. How goes your training field?" Naruto smiled wide and stood up, putting her hands on her hips.

"I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but I made a shack by myself. Thanks for getting me a training dummy, I'll put it to good use." Hiruzen smiled and nodded his head.

"I'm sure you will, Naruto-Chan. Cat? Could you escort Naruto home?" Cat nodded her head and allowed Naruto to grab her hand. "See you later, Naruto-Chan. Be sure to practice for your exam."

Naruto smiled and nodded her head as she felt Cat's chakra wrapping around her. "Okay, Jiji. See you later!" And with that, she was gone. Hiruzen chuckled and glanced over towards Ibiki who had just finished noting the areas that needed extra protection. The vents were at the top.

"So what do you think, Ibiki?" The Hokage asked with a smile while he prepared his pipe. Ibiki didn't respond at first and simply slid the paper over towards the Hokage, a frown on his scarred face.

"Not sure. She's interesting, to be sure. She thought ahead the whole time and she seems determined. I'm a bit worried about what she heard affecting her." If anyone else had heard that the great Ibiki was worried about something, there would be no end to the teasing and underestimating.

But he was just with the Hokage, so he allowed himself to relax. "If it wasn't for her prisoner, I would say to let her meet with a Yamanaka, but..."

Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully, taking a puff of his pipe at the same time. "I wouldn't worry about her. She'll be fine." Then, as if an after thought, the man picked up a piece of paper from a stack on the corner of his desk. "Say, what do you think about..."

"Well, look at the time. Got to go." Ibiki stated quickly, already moving towards the door at high speeds. He knew exactly what the Hokage was going to ask, and the answer was no.

If the Hokage was put off by his attitude, he didn't show it and simply allowed Ibiki to leave. He chuckled softly and shook his head, putting down the Jounin assignment sheet down again. He had been trying to get the leader of T&I to train a Genin team for some time, but the answer was always no.

Perhaps Anko, then? He'd have to pull a few strings for that one... Then again... He was the Hokage.

* * *

 **AN: Chapter 3, complete. The next chapter will come out earlier if I get some actual good reviews, but otherwise it'll come out when I hit a milestone in my actual writing.**

 **I don't mind telling anyone what I consider the 'milestone' to be, but just know it'll take awhile. A couple days to a week, at most.**

 **Quick question as well: After "finishing" this chapter, I went back and started to space out paragraphs that felt slightly too large. Does anyone actually prefer the 'larger' paragraphs, or do you prefer them being spaced out like this?**

 **To give an example: A lot of paragraphs, especially in this chapter, were similar to the last large paragraph at the end of Chapter 2. It's differently sized in my Open Office, so it seems more clumped together to me than it does on the site...**

 **But tell me what you prefer. I don't mind either one.**


	4. Sacrifices in the Shadows

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift." **NEW!:** "Text being read will also be like this. But context will let you see if it's a flash back... or a book."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

* * *

Naruto sighed to herself as she let the fish fall back into the water, a frown on her face as she considered her position.

It was two days until the exam and she _should_ be working on her _**Bunshin**_ which was still completely worthless, even though she put as little chakra in it as possible, but she had another training in mind.

A training method she read in a manga and decided to try for real, but with no festival in town she was forced to a river up in the mountains of Konoha.

If she could mimic the technique, even to a small degree, it would speed her arms up considerably. The only problem was the process.

It had taken her an hour just to be quick enough to grab five fish and allow them to dangle in the air. She had decided, stubbornly, she would only stop if she was able to capture all fifteen fish before the first one went back in the water.

 _'I should get a pond in my yard.'_ She thought to herself as her hands blurred, sending water and fish into the air as she reached into the river. _'I'd be able to do this at home.'_

It was a good thing she did not have class today or tomorrow, since she was an hour's walk away from home and she didn't want to walk back and forth.

She sighed again watching the seven fish fall into the water with small splashes, quickly swimming away from her out of fear.

She made her way further down the river, putting her hands behind her head as she walked. She was definitely improving, all she had to do was incorporate it into her fighting style.

… Did she even have a fighting style?

That was a strange thought. She never learned anything but the academy style and usually just attacked in any way that felt natural.

Perhaps she should take another page from the manga and just learn a bunch of styles and push them together?

 _'I'm relying too much on a manga...'_ She thought to herself as she reached a collection of fish, letting herself fall to her knees so she could reach them. _'_

 _But if it works, it works. I'm sure there's someone else out there doing the same.'_ She had no way of knowing that, but it helped justify her methods to an extent.

With that in mind, she pushed chakra into her arms and went back to work.

* * *

 _ **Some time later...**_

"So all my hard work means nothing just because I can't do a stupid Jutsu!?" Iruka winced from the harsh tone as the blonde girl stood in front of his desk, glaring at him in anger.

It was the day of the exams and it was noted down that the failure to use any of the three Ninjutsu would result in an instant failure.

Naruto, despite her mastery of the _**Henge**_ and decent Taijutsu, was unable to preform the basic _**Bunshin**_. It wasn't necessarily her fault, but rules were rules.

"Now Naruto..." The Chunin began, glancing towards his partner, Mizuki, for assistance. The white haired man just looked amused, however, and Iruka knew he wouldn't help. "You've known for a long time that you have to master the _**Bunshin**_ to graduate..."

"Bull! What was the point of the tests then!?" She slammed her hands down on his desk and Iruka sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I passed everything except the _**Bunshin**_! Let me graduate!"

Surprisingly it was Mizuki that nodded his head in agreement, looking towards Iruka with a smile. "Why not, Iruka? She's proven to be a capable Kunoichi and she did make a _**Bunshin**_..." Iruka frowned at his partner and sighed, shaking his head while glancing towards the sickly looking clone on the floor.

"I can't pass her. It's the rules. I'm sorry, Naruto." He gave the blonde a pleading look, hoping she would understand, but she returned his look with an angry glare.

With a _'hmph'_ , the blonde spun around and walked out of the room, slamming the door open and Iruka winced as he saw it nearly break off it's hinges.

Hinata was the first to Naruto, her eyes wide in surprise from seeing her friend's face twisted into such anger, but Naruto just brushed past her, growling. "Not now, Hinata. I need some time alone." She breathed out when the Hyuuga began to follow her.

Hinata frowned but nodded slowly, looking down. "I'm sorry, Naruto-Chan." She whispered softly, turning her own angry glare towards the Chunin in the room.

Mizuki just held his hands up defensively while Iruka looked like he was about to cry. It wasn't like he wanted to fail her, but rules were rules...

* * *

Naruto pushed past the adults that were gathered outside to congratulate their children, ignoring the glares that they were sending her way.

Some even moved in front of her, just to annoy her or make her fall down, but she slid past them with practiced grace, keeping her head down. She found her way to the swing that hung from a tree in front of the academy and sat there, staring at the ground.

It wasn't long after that the students began to pour out, some proudly showing off their headbands and some looking dejected... But all of them went to their parents.

Sakura was among them, grinning up at her mother who was staring down at her proudly. Her mother was a lean woman with bright pink hair and green eyes, looking a lot like Sakura but there were noticeable wrinkles on her face and bruises on her hands.

She was a well-known trader and normally would not be in the village at all, but with Sakura graduating from the academy today, she decided to take a day off.

Hayai Haruno smiled down at her daughter, patting her head. "Good work, Sakura. Your father would be proud." Sakura smiled sadly and nodded at her mother.

Her father had died when she was just four years old, having received fatal injuries in the battle with the Kyuubi that should have killed him, but he stubbornly pushed himself to his limits so that he could see his daughter grow.

Sakura could just barely remember his face, smiling down at her from his hospital bed... She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "Thanks Mom!" She grinned, putting her hands on her hips. "Now Sasuke-Kun will have to notice me and..."

She paused, completely missing the slight frown on her mother's face as she looked towards the swing Naruto was sitting at, though the blonde girl did not seem to notice her.

Sakura bit her lip slightly at the sight. Naruto was one of the few that didn't pass, but unlike the rest she didn't have someone to go back to at home to help her feel better, or help her with her problem. She was completely alone.

The young Haruno started to make her way towards her blonde friend, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked curiously up towards her mother who was staring at Naruto with a frown.

"Stay away from her, Sakura. She's not someone you want to get involved with." Hayai whispered, causing her daughter to frown.

"What? Naruto's great." That got her mother's attention and her frown grew larger at the amount of alarm in her mother's eyes.

She had never mentioned Naruto to her mother before, mostly because she always said "The girls and I" instead of a specific person when she was going was telling her mother about her day.

She didn't understand Hayai's... distrust with the blonde. "She's one of the nicest people I've met. Even if she's kind of slow."

Hayai resisted the urge to growl and she began to pull her daughter away from the crowd, shaking her head. "It's a trick, I'm sure. Don't get involved with her, Sakura."

"Ow! Don't pull so hard! And what are you talking about.. Naruto wouldn't..."

"Little brat killed my husband..." The older Haruno muttered under her breath, still pulling Sakura along. Sakura froze as she heard the words, but her mother didn't even seem to realize she spoke aloud.

Naruto? Kill someone? How could Naruto even kill her father? He had died from his wounds and Naruto wasn't even around back then. Sakura frowned and glanced back towards Naruto with her eyes narrowed.

 _'I'll treat her to ramen later. My mom is going crazy.'_ She did love her mother, but the woman was barely around... She might have got an illness on her travels.

Unknown to Sakura, or Hayai, the blonde had heard the whole conversation, along with many others. It only served to increase her depression, but she did smile slightly at Sakura's praise. _'She's one of the nicest people I've met. Heh...'_

If only she knew Naruto was the one responsible for filling the girl's bathtub with melted marshmallows. Sakura had complained about it for a month.

Still, she did like the pink haired Kunoichi's company. It was a shame they would probably never see each other again. _'Damn Iruka... It's not my fault I can't do the **Bunshin**.'_ She was sure of that.

Something, or someone, had something to do with it. She could only barely make a clone and they always looked sick and pale, barely able to stand up on their feet.

She sighed, watching the last few students file out and she gave a sad smile to Ino who was staring at her with worry etched on her features.

The Jinchuuriki waved her hand dismissively and Ino frowned but slowly followed after her father who just glanced at Naruto as they passed her.

She watched them go with a sad smile on her face, resting her head against the rope that held the swing up. _'Must be nice... having a family. I wonder what my parents would have done..?'_ It wasn't the first time she thought this, or the first time she ignored the stab of jealousy in her gut.

So lost in her thoughts she didn't notice the figure step up behind her until a hand fell onto her shoulder, causing her to jump slightly.

She looked up, her eyes a little wide as she stared up at the smiling face of Mizuki. "Hey there, Naruto. Want to come talk for a bit? There's something I should tell you." Naruto frowned slowly but nodded her head, getting off the swing.

It wasn't like she had anything better to do.

* * *

Mizuki smiled as he watched the blonde disappear in the distance, nodding his head slightly. _'That should do it. The little brat won't know what hit her...'_ The words weren't thought with venom, but instead a soft affection.

Originally, he had hated the girl for being the Kyuubi brat, even if he knew how seals worked to a degree, but that had changed when she had gotten older.

She reminded him of Tsubaki, his girlfriend, in their younger years. Kind, spirited, and loud. Tsubaki had mellowed out considerably since then, becoming much more quiet after some serious Shinobi training and the loss of their third teammate.

Naruto's attitude in class, and when it came to training, put a smile on his face even though he knew the Kyuubi was behind her stomach.

He had considered helping her with the _**Bunshin**_ , but it was forbidden for teacher's to play favorites like that.

Not to mention the higher ups would never allow it unless the Hokage himself came down. She was, after all, the 'Kyuubi Brat' and that alienated her from the teacher's more than the students.

Still... He felt he owed her something. Had it not been for her bright smile, which was plastered on her face even when she messed up, he might have done something unforgivable.

He shook his head, smirking to himself as he sat down and waited.

 _'I might spend a year in prison, but I think it will be worth it. I was getting tired of teaching anyways.'_

It was surprisingly easy to slip through the window and roll across the ground, dodging the rather obvious seals on the wall that would trigger an alarm.

Naruto snorted to herself as she sat up on her knees, a frown on her face as she looked about. She had just sneaked past several guards and four alarms to the Hokage's private vault without even having to use her _**Henge**_.

It was a little annoying how easy it was.

Still, she wasn't about to complain. It was a test, right? She figured they lowered the difficulty of it just for her, though she was certain she could have gotten in anyways. The alerts were designed for grown Shinobi, not a twelve year old.

Shaking her head, she looked around and hummed to herself as she spotted a golden colored scroll sitting on top of a shelf.

She looked side to side, spotting two pieces of paper on the wall beside the shelf, creating a transparent barrier that kept the scroll from being touched or falling accidentally.

It was a little weird that she was able to see perfectly fine in the dark room, but she barely registered that as she stood up and pulled her fist back slowly.

She tapped the barrier slightly and hummed as she felt like she just tapped a wall. _'I can do this.'_ She thought, closing her eyes and pulling both fists back to ready her attack.

In a blur of motion, both of her fists shot forward and slammed into the left side of the barrier. Before the barrier even reacted to the blow, three more fists were slamming into the same spot and sending cracks along the barrier.

As her 50th blow struck, the barrier shattered and the seal on the left that was holding it up burst into flames.

With a smirk, she pulled the scroll free and rolled it under the alarm seals and rolled after it a moment later. Just as she was about to jump out of the window that she used to get in, the door snapped open and light flooded the room.

Her eyes widened as she saw the outline of the Hokage standing there, staring at her with a confused frown on his face. "Naruto-Chan? What are you doing in here and..." He paused, noticing the scroll she held in her arms and his eyes narrowed. "Naruto-Chan..."

Naruto gulped and turned towards him, placing her hands up in an unfamiliar seal. " _ **Oiroke No Jutsu! (Sexy Jutsu)**_ "

In a poof of smoke, the young girl was replaced with a buxom blonde woman that gave him a seductive smile, her rear sticking out of the window as she bent over towards him, giving him a great view of her breasts that were just barely covered by the scroll she held.

The Hokage's eyes widened and a trail of blood slowly dripping out of his nose, but his face only turned red when his eyes met the blonde's lovely azure eyes.

The woman smirked and licked her bright red lips "Something wrong, Sarutobi- _Kun_?" She breathed out, her eyelashes fluttering at him. Without warning, Hiruzen gasped and flew backwards, blood spewing from his nose with enough force to slam him into the wall, knocking him out temporarily.

In another puff of smoke, the blonde woman was replaced by her younger self who was chuckling as she pulled the scroll onto her back. "Too easy, Jiji. Too easy." With that, she bent backwards and let herself fall down out of the window, landing nimbly on the edge of another and using it to flip herself onto a roof.

She grinned to herself, hopping to the next roof after a brief run to get her momentum. _'Now all I have to do is get to a quiet spot so I can train. Then I can pass!'_

She paused as she landed on a roof, a frown on her face as she crossed her arms. _'Wait. Jiji was surprised to see me... and they would definitely tell the Hokage if someone was taking this test... Was I tricked?'_ It was a disturbing thought.

The lack of resistance did point to them giving her a break but... The Hokage not knowing about it? Or confronting her at all? She knew the Hokage could take her, if he was being serious.

She just caught him by surprise and it was unlikely her _**Oiroke No Jutsu**_ would work a second time... at least to the same degree.

 _'What did Mizuki say? Go get the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing...'_ Her eye twitched as she realized he said 'Forbidden'.

She was too caught up in her depression to realize what that meant before. _'… Afterward, go to a shack located north of the village, but still within the wall. Many Ninja will follow you after you leave with the scroll, you have to lose them and learn one technique in order to pass.'_

But if Mizuki _did_ trick her, then that meant he was going to be the only one searching for her, at least until the Hokage woke up.

Not only that, but she knew she couldn't take him unless she took him by surprise. _'Should I return the scroll..? … No. I've already done the crime, might as well spend the time.'_ A line from her favorite book about an accidental criminal.

She shook her head and jumped across the roof again, but this time she went in a different direction, towards the safest place in the village.

Her home.

* * *

A brown haired man grunted as he felt a kunai bury itself into his shoulder, glaring at the cat-like mask staring him down. Cat glared right back, even if he couldn't see it through her mask. Around them both were several burnt down houses and two of her fellow ANBU,

Mouse and Owl, were nursing their light wounds nearby. The rest of the ANBU were searching for survivors and helping civilians evacuate the area.

It had been ten minutes ago that several parts of the 'Rich' district of Konoha was suddenly assaulted by various fire balls and sunk into the ground by a _**Doton**_ Jutsu. The ANBU, all of them, had just arrived in time to see a brown haired man destroy a building with a fire ball and quickly rushed to subdue him.

It was surprisingly difficult. The man proved to show some form of sensing ability as he continuously dodged attacks he should not have seen and he had used several shuriken made of stone to cut Owl's leg.

The masked ANBU had quickly performed a counter that left the man skidding back, but in return he had cut Mouse's shoulder with a Fuuma shuriken, but thankfully it was a shallow wound.

Now he was pinned to a wall with a kunai sticking out of his shoulder and Cat's blade against his nose. "Any last words before we turn you over to Ibiki?" The man just smirked slightly at Cat's blunt attitude.

"Plenty, but for now I'll simply say... Distraction complete." Cat's eyes widened as the man melted into mud before her very eyes.

"A _**Doton Bunshin**_!? Shit!" She cursed, pulling her blade away. They had been fighting a mud clone the whole time? She mentally cursed herself for having such weak sensor abilities, but clones were always so hard to tell apart. "ANBU, fall back! This was a distraction! We have to..."

"It's too late." All eyes turned towards the voice and Cat frowned behind her mask at the sight of the silver haired Ninja, Copy Cat Kakashi Hatake.

He gave her a lazy wave and smiled under his mask. "Yo. Just came to tell you that the Hokage was attacked and the Forbidden Scroll was stolen. We screwed up."

Silence fell and Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "We're looking now and the Hokage is fine, but..." He suddenly turned his head just as another man fell into the area.

The gray haired Chunin that landed looked slightly out of breath, but he practically yelled his next words. "I just saw Naruto flee into the forest with the Scroll on her back! Kakashi, we have to get after her fast. She's good at hiding." Kakashi frowned under his mask and nodded his head.

"Lead the way, Mizuki. I'll get my dogs to sniff her scent." Mizuki nodded his head and quickly ran off towards the forest. Kakashi followed behind him, though he turned his head slightly as he saw Cat catching up. "Shouldn't you be..?"

"Owl has it handled. I can't allow this injustice to go unpunished... I have a bone to pick with Uzumaki anyways." Kakashi chuckled softly.

"I'm sure there's a story behind this, so let's not act too rashly. She didn't seem like the kind to do this without reason." He hadn't met her, of course, but the Hokage did speak of her fondly.

Cat glanced at him then turned her eyes back to Mizuki. "How was the Hokage defeated?" She asked curiously, though she frowned as Kakashi let out a perverted giggle.

When he finished, he turned towards her with an eye smile. "Let's just say he's definitely Jiraiya's teacher." Cat's face fell at that and even Mizuki, who had been listening in, stumbled slightly.

Kakashi chuckled at their reactions and shrugged his shoulders. "I might have lost to it too."

The rest of the trip was spent in silence until they reached a clearing in the woods with a wooden shack in it. Mizuki frowned as he looked around, putting his hands on his hips. "She couldn't have gone any further than this..." The two other Ninja landed behind him, but a third soon joined them.

Mouse bowed his head towards Cat and Kakashi as they turned towards him. "We have located and subdued the holder of the scroll.

She went willingly, but it is unknown what she learned. We found her at her house." The last part was said with a faint amusement and Cat nodded her head, suddenly pulling her blade out and pointing it towards Mizuki.

"Arrest this man." Mouse instantly went to obey and Mizuki frowned but put his hands up to show he wasn't holding anything.

"What did I do?" He grumbled, "I just saw her come this way. Must have been a _**Bunshin**_." Cat just shook her head as Mouse took the Chunin's hands and tied them behind his back.

"I don't know if you did see her or not, but I am a sensor." Mizuki's eyes widened, but he relaxed soon after. "You know what that means, don't you? I can tell it was your chakra that was controlling that _**Doton Bunshin**_." Cat explained as the man was pushed forward towards her and she stared down at him through her mask. "You'll have fun with Ibiki."

Despite the situation, Mizuki just smirked up at her and shrugged his shoulders. "Do what you will. I'm sure it paid off." He arrogantly stated, starting to walk towards the village on his own. "Come on, I don't have all day."

The two ANBU, and one ex-ANBU, frowned as they watched him but soon they were all going back towards the village.

Hopefully they would figure out what was going on.

* * *

Naruto yawned as she dangled upside down, her hair falling down towards the ground. She was sitting backwards on a chair, her legs curled around the top to keep her from falling, and she was currently in the Hokage's office, waiting for the old man to show up.

It was about an hour after she had been captured, though it had taken them nearly over an hour to find her in the first place.

She had just been recovering from the use of the techniques she learned when they, quite literally, dropped in on her. It was rather amusing that they seemed surprised she didn't jump from the sight of them and run.

She didn't put up any resistance when they grabbed the scroll and tied her hands up and now she was waiting for the Hokage while two masked ANBU stood guard by the door, staring at her silently.

One was Tiger, which caused her to blush slightly from the memory, and the other was Rabbit. Neither of them said anything to her, despite her attempt to get a conversation going.

She yawned as she dangled from the seat but when the door open her face lit up into a smile as she saw the old man walk into the room. "Hi, Jiji. What's up?" She asked with a grin, though it fell as she saw him give her a sad smile.

He was tired. It showed in his eyes and face. He sighed and walked past her, taking a seat in his desk while Naruto flipped herself forward to sit properly in the chair, frowning still as she stared at the man she called grandfather.

Hiruzen sighed, putting his hands together in front of him as he stared at the blonde. "Naruto-Chan... Why did you take the scroll?" It was a simple question, one she probably would have answered no matter who asked it.

She shrugged. "I was told to. I was told I could learn a technique from the scroll that would let me pass the test." The Hokage's frown deepened and he sighed.

"Mizuki, I take it?" She didn't nod but he could see the flash of surprise in her eyes, causing him to sigh again. "I cannot fault you, Naruto-Chan. It was, after all, only natural you would trust and listen to your teacher. But you must not be so reckless in the future, especially if you are trying to be a Ninja. I am sorry you cannot learn from that scroll..." Naruto's face suddenly lit into a grin and she chuckled softly.

"I already did. See watch." She put up a hand seal and the two ANBU behind her tensed as she shouted, " _ **Kage Bunshin**_ _**no Jutsu!**_ " In an instant, there were ten Naruto's standing in the office, each one with their own smirk or grin.

Hiruzen stared at the scene with his jaw dropping slightly in surprise while the original Naruto put her hands behind her head. "See see? I learned it! A _**Bunshin**_ Jutsu! I learned the kunai one too." She scrunched her nose up. "It was a little hard to learn that one; I probably wouldn't have tried it if I wasn't at home."

Hiruzen was impressed, and it showed on his face. He didn't expect her to learn from the scroll and it seemed that what Mizuki had told Ibiki was true..

* * *

 _ **50 minutes ago...**_

Mizuki tapped his fingers against the top of the table he was sitting at, staring at the tall imposing man sitting on the other side. "So? Not going to ask me anything? I'll tell you whatever you want, I've got no reason to lie." The man, Ibiki, frowned and sighed.

"What were you trying to accomplish?" Mizuki chuckled slightly, leaning back in his chair.

"In what? Distracting the ANBU or burning the houses?"

"Both." Was the curt reply.

Mizuki shrugged his shoulders, smiling still. "Well, the burning was because those houses were empty and it was easy to distract the ANBU with a sudden fire." He shrugged. "As for distracting... I had to give Naruto some time." Ibiki's frown increased and he let out a sigh.

"Why? What do you hope to accomplish by helping Uzumaki?" Ibiki was getting a little annoyed with Mizuki's constant smile, but he was being willing to talk and Ibiki wasn't in the mood to bother with anything unneeded.

"She can't preform the _**Bunshin**_ Jutsu. I know the _**Kage Bunshin**_ is in that scroll somewhere, the Hokage didn't really keep it a secret." He waved his hands slightly.

"I'm not allowed to help her with her problem, the higher ups won't let me even talk to her outside class for more than a few minutes. I only got her to know the plan because they were busy with the end of school."

Ibiki frowned at the man who just continued to smirk at him in a knowing manner. "You still haven't told me why you would go to such lengths for Uzumaki." Mizuki chuckled slightly, resting his head on his chin.

"Plenty of reasons. She needed it, and it's my duty as a teacher to help out in any way I can."

Ibiki slammed his hands down in a rare show of anger, "That does _not_ mean you endanger civilians and destroy Konoha's property. That's treason." Ibiki growled out his words and his growls only grew louder as Mizuki rolled his eyes slightly.

"I warned all of the civilians that there was going to be a contained fire. No one lived in those buildings and I made sure no one was nearby. They were going to be torn down within a week anyways." Mizuki explained, leaning back in his chair again and putting his feet up on the table.

Ibiki growled slightly again and stood up, glaring at the man."You think you're smart, don't you? Covering all the bases and trying to make sure you don't get in trouble... You don't even know what you-" He paused, turning his head as he heard the door open and he instantly straightened up as the Hokage walked into the room, his hat tipped down to hide his face. "Hokage-Sama."

Hiruzen nodded to the man then turned his gaze towards Mizuki who was still smiling, not looking bothered by Ibiki's outburst. "Mizuki-Kun... It is a shame it has come to this."

The old Hokage said as he took the seat Ibiki had been sitting at before, crossing his hands over each other. "I have been listening, so no need to repeat yourself. Now, please tell us why you helped Naruto-Chan. I had thought you hated her for her prisoner."

The Hokage's words made his lips twitch downward, but only for an instant. "I suppose I did hate her at some point, but that was before I was stuck with her."

He chuckled slightly, putting his hands behind his head. "I guess I grew fond of her, even if we never spoke much. It was... inspiring to see her get up again every time she failed. Reminded me a lot of my old teammate." He wouldn't mention that he was seeing his teammate currently, he didn't want to let her know about it just yet.

The Hokage smiled slightly at the man, knowing his words were genuine. Still... "I'm afraid I can't just let you go, Mizuki-Kun. Naruto either. Stealing that scroll was..."

"All my idea." The gray-haired man interrupted, causing the two to raise their eyebrows at him. He smirked slightly, leaning forward now with his feet back on the ground. "I told her to do it. I said she would be able to pass if she learned a Jutsu from the scroll, and I knew the first one was _**Kage Bunshin.**_ "

Hiruzen frowned and studied the man's face. It didn't appear that he was lying, but if what he said was true then it was obvious they had all underestimated the Chunin. "Is that so, Mizuki-Kun? And how did you know the _**Kage Bunshin**_ was first without looking in the scroll yourself?" Mizuki snorted slightly and shook his head.

"A mistake by a friend of mine, actually. He got drunk after becoming a Jounin and was going on about learning the first Jutsu he saw in the scroll when you allowed him to view it. It wasn't hard to put together what Jutsu it was when he started using the _**Kage Bunshin**_ around the village." Mizuki explained with an amused tone, smiling as he saw Ibiki pinch his nose and the Hokage chuckle softly.

"I suppose that would do it..." The Hokage chuckled, starting to stand up. "Well, I cannot guarantee you won't be kept for awhile, Mizuki-Kun, but I am glad that someone is watching out for Naruto-Chan..." He was about to leave when Mizuki held his hand up.

"Actually, Hokage-Sama... I have a few more things to talk about. It's about Orochimaru."

* * *

-Present Time-

Hiruzen shook his head to clear the memories, purposely ignoring the ones about Mizuki's connection to Orochimaru. He needed to focus on Naruto first.

Speaking of the blonde, it seems she had taken to sitting upside down in the chair again, though this time she was facing the desk rather than the door and her goggles on her head were starting to slide off.

He chuckled softly at her antics and shook his head, "Naruto-Chan... Sit up straight and close your eyes. I have something to give you." Naruto frowned but flipped herself into an upright position and closed her eyes.

"What is it, Jiji?" She asked with a curious look on her face, causing Hiruzen to chuckle softly at the cute expression. He slowly stood behind her and tied something around her neck, smiling to himself and walking back in front of her when he was done.

"It's done. Open your eyes." She slowly opened her eyes and frowned, looking down at her neck. Her eyes widened at the sight of the gleaming metal and she hastily tilted it up slightly, staring at the Hidden Leaf symbol in the center of the metal.

It was obviously not new, having various scratches and slight dents in it, but it's meaning was clear. She looked up at the old man with tears brimming in her eyes as he smiled softly at her. "Congratulations... You pas-oof!"

The _oof_ was from the girl ramming into him, wrapping her arms tightly around him and crying into his robe. He smiled sadly, stroking her head as she buried her face into his chest. "Thank you thank you thank you!" She cried out, tilting her head back so she could see his face. "So.. I'm not in trouble at all?"

Hiruzen sighed and shook his head, slowly ruffling her hair. "No, not this time. But you're a Kunoichi now and that sort of action won't be forgiven again." That deflated her mood slightly but she nodded.

He smiled, trying to ease her mood, "Now, Naruto-Chan, I have some time off tonight... Why don't we get Iruka-San and eat at Ichiraku?" Two bright blue eyes widened before bouncing up and down as the blonde nodded excitedly.

"Yes yes! Iruka-Sensei is going to be so surprised! Ha! I can't wait to rub it in Ino's face too!" The blonde laughed as she spun backwards, nearly tripping over the chair she had been sitting in. She quickly started to bounce out of the room with a chuckling Hiruzen behind.

Before he exited the room completely, however, he turned his head towards the ANBU, Tiger. "There's a scroll with Ibiki. Make sure it gets to Jiraiya." Tiger nodded her head slightly in response and disappeared with a poof.

"Oi! Jiji! Come on! Ramen is waiting!" Hiruzen chuckled softly and nodded, closing the door behind him.

"Coming, coming..."

* * *

 _ **AN: Chapter 4! The next one will come out at the next milestone. Couple days to a week.**_

 _ **Thank you all for the small reviews, definitely an improvement from what I had got before. Let's keep them coming, shall we?**_

 _ **I do hope you guys don't mind Mizuki being around still... or Kage Bunshin being around. But they have draw backs that you'll see later.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed... Remember to review!**_


	5. Even outside, we are friends

**AN: Slightly important message: You may or may not notice a difference in writing style compared to the previous chapters. I, personally, notice this difference after reading over it, but that's because I'm weird.**

 **The original writer is still the same, which is me of course, but I wrote the first tiny part of this chapter and all 4 of the other chapters a good one or two years ago. I've changed a bit of my writing style since then, but the following chapters will have all been written in this style...**

 **Again, though, you may not even notice, but I figured it'd be fair to warn my readers. Brownie points to people who point out exactly when the style 'changes.'**

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

* * *

It was the next day that Naruto found herself smiling brightly as she greeted the day, in contrast to the gloom she had felt before.

She was a Ninja! A true Kunoichi. It was enough to make her giggle upon waking, even though she knew the hardest part had yet to come.

She still had a few days before they were required to meet back at the academy to know what team they were placed on. Apparently her passing had caused the day to move up a bit.

Which gave her plenty of time to train and, most importantly, make use of her new Jutsu. With a grin, the blonde placed her fingers together in a seal and summoned enough clones to fill her bedroom.

She smirked to herself as they stood there, staring at her with smiles on their faces. Before, when she had just learned the Jutsu, she had to literally beat down a hundred clones until she was standing alone.

Apparently that was how the clones wanted to decide who was the "true" Naruto, so she had to assert her dominance as the original. It left her pretty drained, but the outcome was worth it.

Nodding to herself, she pointed at the clones. "You know what to do. The roof needs new tiles, the pond needs digging, and I need to practice speed training with my legs. You five!" She pointed at a random corner and five of the clones gave her a mock salute.

"Transform and roll out! I want food, nails, and wood." The five nodded and quickly left the room after transforming into a more forgettable face. The rest of the clones quickly left as well to do their own designated tasks.

Thirty minutes later, after the original Naruto had a "light breakfast", the girl found herself frowning and staring down at her now empty bowl of ramen. _'I can't use this Jutsu in battle recklessly.'_ She thought to herself, referring to the _**Kage Bunshin**_.

Apparently she received any memories of the things the clones did, but unless they willingly dispelled themselves she found herself unable to view how exactly they died.

One of the clones were working on the roof and accidentally hammered her own thumb when a bird distracted her, causing the clone to poof into smoke.

She didn't recall actually taking the hit, just suddenly disappearing, but one of the other clones had noticed one poof and dispelled itself willingly to 'tell' it's creator what happened.

Naruto found herself a bit dejected at the news because of how useful the Jutsu was, but using it recklessly would result in some mental problems, she was sure.

 _'If I don't remember that the clones died by rushing in, I might find myself rushing in purely out of habit. I'll have to make them more durable or agile somehow.'_ She shook her head slightly.

No time for that right now though, she had work to do.

* * *

"I'm heading out, see you later Dad!" A young blonde called out to her father, a smile on her face as she saw him wave her off.

"See you, dear. Take care and make sure that friend of yours is cheered up." The tall man said with a smile, watching his daughter grin and nod her head.

"Naturally! As if she could stay unhappy around Ino Yamanaka!" The young blonde yelled, grinning as she hopped out of the door and closed it behind her with a click. As soon as she was out of her father's sight, her smile fell into a frown as she made her way down the street.

She was worried... and rightfully so. Naruto had seemed extremely depressed yesterday and Ino, for the life of her, could not think of a way to help her friend. She was lucky the meeting day for new Genin was pushed up a few days, it gave her time to help her friend get over it.

Hopefully the whiskered blonde wouldn't hate her for passing, but Ino doubted she would. Naruto was always very nice, even if she was a little slow and sometimes said rude things without meaning to.

Still, she didn't want to upset her fellow blonde; the girl was practically her best friend. It was only the lack of interest in boys and clothes that kept her from earning that title completely.

Ino smiled as she saw the friend that did appreciate boys walking down the street. She quickly sped up, slapping the girl on the back and causing the pink-haired girl to stumble slightly before glaring at Ino, the Hitai-ate hanging around her neck shining in the light.

"Hey forehead!" Ino grinned, ignoring the glare completely as she put her hands on her hips. "Off to see Naruto?"

Sakura huffed in annoyance, rolling her eyes as her anger faded away. It wasn't like it hurt anyways. "Yeah. She looked really depressed yesterday. My Mom wouldn't let me talk to her though." The pink-haired Nin rubbed the back of her head slightly, a small habit she received from Naruto.

Ino frowned at the mention of Sakura's mother. Why would she have a problem with Naruto? Hayai was usually rather pleasant to be around, though she always skipped around the Sasuke topic when it came up.

Ino was brought out of her thoughts when she noticed someone fell into step beside her and Sakura. She turned her head and smiled at the familiar bundle of blue hair bouncing beside her. "Hey, Hinata. Going to see Naruto too?" Hinata turned her lavender gaze over to Ino, smiling softly as she nodded.

"Yes. I wasn't able to talk to her yesterday after the test, I had to wait for Kurenai-Sensei to pick me up." Both girls seemed confused at why Hinata would need to be picked up by a Jounin, but the Hyuuga Heiress continued as if it was natural.

"I had to tell my father I was meeting her to get out of the house though." Both of them now winced slightly, their confusion forgotten as they recalled how strict the Hyuuga clan was. It was no surprise Hinata wanted to get away from them for awhile.

"I had to lie to my Mom as well. Told her I was going to hang out with Ino." Sakura admitted, sticking her tongue out. "Guess it wasn't a complete lie though." Ino rolled her eyes slightly and the three fell into a comfortable silence, the worry they had for their friend making them unwilling to get into their usual conversations.

When they finally reached Naruto's complex, Ino and Sakura had trouble keeping their jaws up at the sight that greeted them while Hinata just stared with wide eyes. The complex was big, bigger than they had thought and definitely not what they expected an orphaned twelve year old to have.

The biggest surprise was the _amount_ of twelve year old girls currently scaling the building, each with their own hammer or piece of wood.

They were so taken by surprise that they didn't even notice one land in the yard and walk towards them, her hands behind her head.

"Yo! What's up girls?" The blonde greeted, pulling the three out of their shock as she smiled. Naruto chuckled softly, scratching her cheek. "I didn't think you guys knew where I lived." The girls didn't respond and the clone took it as a chance to point behind her towards the complex, "Boss is at the back if you're here to see her."

That snapped the three Kunoichi out of their trance and Sakura frowned, her head tilted to the side, "Boss? What does that mean? And what's with all these clones Naruto?" Hinata nodded quietly in agreement, wanting to know the answers as well, while Ino just moved past the three to get to Naruto's back yard.

"Ask the boss. I've got work to do." The clone replied simply, not giving the remaining two girl's a second glance as she walked back towards the building.

The two watched as the girl made a slight jump, then pulled herself up to the balcony with one arm and flipped onto the roof a moment later.

Sighing, Sakura quickly went after Ino with Hinata trailing behind, though the lavender eyed girl took a moment to glance up at the numerous Naruto's running around on top of the roof, a faint blush on her features. _'So many... I wish I could...'_

"Hinata! Come on!" The Hyuuga Heiress jumped at Sakura's loud voice and quickly followed her, fiddling with her fingers as she walked. Sakura smiled at her friend and quickly turned the corner to the back yard, only to run straight into Ino.

"Gah! What's the deal Ino-Pig? Don't just stand there." Sakura griped, moving beside her blonde friend and glaring at her.

Ino, however, didn't even respond to Sakura's complaint and simply held her hand up, pointing towards the yard with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide in surprise.

Sakura frowned and followed her friend's gaze, only for her own mouth to drop open in surprise while Hinata, having stepped beside Sakura, was blushing with wide eyes at the sight that greeted them.

The entire field was littered with Naruto's, at least double or triple the amount that was located on the roof. There were several digging what looked like a pond in one of the corner's of the yard, another carrying stacks of wood towards the shack located nearby.

The last group seemed to be hammering away at a large wall of wood, near the edge of the yard which was marked by the large fence meant to keep out any unwanted visitors.

The exception to the working Naruto's was a single Naruto that was pounding away at the training dummy that was stuck to the ground, near one of the trees.

The three girls watched in slight awe as Naruto's fists blurred and slammed into the dummy multiple times, though it only seemed to make it lean back slightly.

The sound of the dummy snapping back into place jolted Ino out of her shock and she began to stomp towards the training Naruto with a frown on her face. "Naruto!" The girl turned her head towards Ino, starting to open her mouth to greet her, but could only let out a squeak as Ino gripped the front of her jumpsuit with both hands.

"I.. Ino-Chan?" The blond said with a startled expression as Ino glared at her, holding her up slightly. There was an odd... fear in Naruto's eyes, as if she expected to be struck at any moment.

Ino felt her heart clench at the fearful expression and let go of Naruto's shirt, sighing. "Here we were worried about you, and then we find you actually knew a _**Bunshin**_ Jutsu the whole time?" The girl's entire body was just screaming annoyance as she glared at Naruto with her hands on her hips.

Naruto grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "S... Sorry, Ino-Chan. I only got up awhile ago, so..." The lack of fear on her face helped Ino relax quite a bit, but she still let out an annoyed huff as Hinata and Sakura approached the two.

"That's not the point, you dummy!" At Naruto's blank stare, Ino sighed. "If you had shown that Jutsu yesterday, you would have passed!" Sakura and Hinata looked at each other behind Ino as Naruto grinned, rubbing her head still.

"Ah, well... I didn't know it then, but I did pass. See?" Reaching into the collar of her jumpsuit, the girl pulled her normal goggles out, followed by the headband tied around her neck.

The three girls stared with their mouths agape for a moment before Sakura and Ino suddenly jumped towards the girl, both of them letting out cries of glee as Naruto struggled to keep her balance.

Hinata simply smiled as Sakura and Ino jumped with Naruto in excitement. "C... Congratulations, N... Naruto-Chan." The girl muttered quietly, only slightly surprised that Naruto grinned up at her right after, since the other two were being rather loud.

"So what happened? How did you learn a Jutsu like that and pass!?" Sakura questioned, looking around at the field of Narutos', all of them still seeming to work on something or another.

One of them even waved at she looked, earning a slightly nervous wave from Sakura. "And they can touch things? I thought clones were just illusions."

Naruto grinned and wiggled back from the two hanging onto her arms. "Well, I'll tell you what happened, but let's go inside first. I can make you girls some snacks."

"It better not be ramen." Ino quipped, earning a slight pout from Naruto.

"Hey, I eat other things!"

"Like?"

"Uh..." Naruto slowly looked to the side, whistling slightly, ignoring the amused looks the girls were giving her. "A.. Anyways, my snacks will get cold so..."

"How? You haven't made them yet." Sakura questioned, earning a grin from her blonde friend as a sudden shout came from building behind them.

"Foods ready! Come on, Boss!" The girls turned towards the voice, seeing one of the many clones holding a door open to Naruto's home.

This one seemed to be slightly different from the rest, not wearing the orange jumpsuit but rather just a black top and shorts with a white apron over top it.

"Eh? Why is that one dressed differently?" Ino questioned, starting to head towards the door as the clone disappeared back inside. Hinata and Sakura followed closely behind, with Naruto in the back with her hands behind her head.

"Well, I made that one when I got up this morning. The apron is new, but they're physical so she probably just put it on on her own." Naruto explained, shrugging slightly.

"How long have you even been up?" Sakura questioned, looking around slowly at the inside of Naruto's building.

The door they went through led them right into one of the apartments. The apartments all had the same basic design with one door heading outside, one to the bathroom, and one towards the bedroom. These, along with an opening to a rather small kitchen area that had no door, were all connected to the main room which consisted of a large couch and a square table surrounded in chairs.

Most of the place seemed to be almost untouched as well, but very clean. There wasn't a spec of dust, but the only real sign of life was the plates resting on the table.

Four in total that all had a well cooked piece of meat resting on them along with a glass of water beside each plate. The girls could also see the clone that had called to them standing in the kitchen, seeming to be cleaning the counter top.

Naruto hummed as she sat down at one of the chairs, rubbing her chin slightly as she considered Sakura's question. "Well, probably a couple of hours..."

"A clone lasted that long?" Sakura could hardly believe that. Her regular _**Bunshin**_ only lasted a few minutes, at best! She sighed, taking a seat as well and staring down at the meat on the plate with a slightly amused smile. "I thought you said snack, not a meal."

"Eh? It's just one piece." Naruto replied, surprise on her face as she pulled up a knife resting on the table. "A meal would be like ten..."

Ino rolled her eyes, poking the meat on her plate once with her own knife. "For you, maybe. Sakura and I have our figures to watch, you know." The Yamanaka instantly regretted her words at the sharp look Hinata and Naruto gave her. Thinking quickly, the heiress decided to change the subject before they could start up their scolding, "W... Well, uh, how did you pass anyways, Goldie?"

It seemed to work as Naruto blinked twice, humming as she thought of what to tell them. "Ah, well... When I was hanging out on the swing... Mizuki came up to me..."

And so she told them of how Mizuki had told her to steal the 'Forbidden Scroll of Seals' and learn one of the Jutsu there in order to pass. The first Jutsu was _**Kage Bunshin**_ , a powerful Jutsu that split her chakra up, but allowed her to create physical clones that could think and do things she could do.

But she also said that the test ended up being a lie, something set up by Mizuki for him to get the scroll himself.

Naruto had an annoyed expression as she chewed on the last bit of the meat, saying "Jiji said Mizuki was going to be held responsible for it... But that I passed the test since I could make a clone, and I was just following orders anyways."

The girls were silent for a short moment before Hinata spoke up, a slight confused expression on her face. "I... I am glad you passed Naruto-Chan, but... Are you sure he lied?"

As the others turned towards her, the girl blushed and fidgeted slightly at the sudden attention. "A.. Ah well, M... Mizuki-Sensei is really smart, and... You passed, didn't you? I... I think he knew what would happen."

Naruto frowned slightly, chewing a bit more as she stared up at the ceiling. "Maybe..." The Jinchuuriki was silent for a few more moments before smiling at the girls. "But enough about that! Is there anything you girls want to do? With my clones around, I can do my house work _and_ anything else I want at the same time." Sakura and Ino looked at each other, both of them grinning widely, which caused the other two to pale slightly as they recognized the mischievous grins.

"Well! Now that you're a Ninja..." Ino started, standing up with her hands on the table. Sakura followed suit and leaned closer to Naruto, putting their faces rather close to the blonde's own. "It's time to do what we've been meaning to do for a long time..."

"E.. Eh?" Naruto gulped slowly, fidgeting slightly. "E.. Er, what would that be..?"

The two looked down at her and slowly gripped her shoulders, with Sakura holding her left and Ino holding the right. "Simple, little Naruto-Chan..." Sakura answered, her grin widening. Ino grinned as well while Hinata watched on nervously from the side.

"We are..."

* * *

"... Shopping!?" Naruto yelled out, staring at the large assortment of clothing that her pink haired friend was throwing out everywhere from the shopping racks at one of the largest Ninja clothing stores. The store was owned by Sakura's mother and thus the girl was allowed to do practically whatever she wanted in it, so long as she didn't damage the merchandise.

The group were all in a large square room with various clothing racks having been pulled inside by Sakura herself for Naruto try on.

Thankfully there was a small 'changing booth' in the room as well, so Naruto was not required to strip in front of the girls, but what she was _not_ thankful for was Ino and Hinata both standing by the door.

She had already tried to bolt for it as soon as she saw the store, and would have got away if the girls had not roped Hinata into subduing Naruto.

 _'Damn those eyes!'_ Naruto thought, glaring with a pout towards Hinata who had a slightly delighted smile on her face. _'Stupid 'Byakugan Puppy-Eye no Jutsu!'_ Those large lavender orbs quivering and staring at her had made it impossible for Naruto to resist going along with their plans...

She now knew what Iruka had to go through whenever she used a similar technique on him for another bowl of ramen. _'Never again! I'll just beg the normal way!'_ She nodded at the thought, crossing her arms, only to squeak as a large bundle suddenly landed in them.

"Try those on." Sakura ordered, pointing at her friend. "And you said you wanted to keep your goggles, so just tie your Hitai-ate on your arm or something." At Naruto's pout with her lower lip sticking out, Sakura stomped her foot down and pointed at the changing booth. "Now!"

Jumping slightly at the sudden shout, Naruto hurriedly ran into the booth, closing the door to it quickly. Ino giggled a bit, leaning back against the wall. "Better not think of putting on that orange jacket again either!"

"Hai, hai..." Naruto grumbled through the door as Sakura began to put out more outfits, placing each in a different pile. After awhile, Naruto peeked her head out of the door, blushing heavily. "Erm... Do I really have to wear this? It's kind of..."

Sakura grinned, nodding towards the girl. "Yep, now come out and show us."

Sighing, Naruto slowly opened the door all the way, revealing the tight black top with fishnet covering the top of her chest and her stomach, leaving her cleavage exposed through the net.

Her legs were covered by a pair of tight black pants which had several pockets along the sides, which was a rather standard design for most Shinobi pants.

The Konoha Hitai-ate was tied around her left arm, being slightly below her shoulder, and her goggles were wrapped around her neck still. Her sandals were still the same, though slightly better versions with a bit of metal on the bottom to allow them to block attacks.

Ino and Sakura both clapped with wide smiles as Naruto fidgeted in front of them, poking her fingers together in a very Hinata-like way. Hinata herself was doing the same, staring at Naruto with a slight blush coating her cheeks.

"Not bad, Goldie! Though I'm definitely jealous of your figure." Ino sighed, but quickly began to smile again as she pushed a second bundle of clothing into Naruto's arms. "Now try these!"

"B.. But..!"

"No buts!" Ino snapped back, pushing the girl back into the changing room.

It proceeded in this way for two hours with Naruto changing into many different outfits for the girls. A 'bandage' outfit, similar to the outfit Kurenai usually wore as noted by Hinata.

A maid outfit, complete with the head piece which caused Ino to jokingly demand to be served tea.

One of the last notable outfits was a one-piece swim suit that caused Hinata to faint right on the spot with the way it outlined the blonde's body almost perfectly, much to the jealousy of Ino and Sakura.

Needless to say, Naruto changed back very quickly.

In the end, Sakura bought the first outfit Naruto had tried on, but added in a orange jacket that had pockets on both sides and was able to be worn inside-out to hide the orange and replace it with a black similar to the rest of the outfit.

"Black doesn't really suit me..." The blonde whined, pulling a bit at the jacket to look at the black inside as she spun around in it once. "But... I do really appreciate it, Sakura-Chan." Sakura smiled at her as she placed the outfits back onto the rack with the other girls helping out on the other side.

"Don't thank me for that one. I just got the design in to my mom awhile ago... But Hinata designed it, and Ino paid for it." Sakura admitted, causing Naruto's eyes to widen as she looked at the three.

"E... Eh? Just for the jacket..?"

"And it was expensive!" Ino groaned out, letting out a dramatic sigh. "Three months of my allowance... Gone!" Sakura giggled slightly while Naruto blushed, pulling slightly at the jacket again.

"T.. Thanks, girls... I don't really know how I can repay you."

Hinata was the one to speak up this time, smiling softly at Naruto, "You've already done a lot f... for us, Naruto-Chan..." Naruto gave Hinata a bashful smile, but blinked as Ino suddenly popped in front of her, grinning widely.

"But if you want to make it up to us..!" Suddenly the girl was holding up the maid outfit from earlier, causing Naruto to pale slightly. "Then I'll be getting this for you too..." Naruto blushed heavily, but her face turned a bright crimson as Ino held up the swimsuit, adding "I think Hinata-Chan wants you to get this one too" with a grin across her face.

The reaction was instant as Hinata's face burst into a bright red shade, shouting "I.. Ino-Chan! I.. I d... do n..." Hinata jumped as Sakura's hands suddenly went over her mouth from behind and the grinning girl stuck her tongue out slightly.

"Hear that? She does~ So you better be a good friend and wear both of those for us!" Sakura said with a slight sing-song voice, causing Naruto to blush further as Hinata struggled against Sakura's grip.

Sakura wasn't too strong and it was easy for Hinata to pull away, blushing as Naruto stared at her stumbling away from Sakura. Ino smiled, glancing between the two and holding the outfits up to break their vision. "So? What do you say, Naruto-Chan?"

After another few moments of silence, Naruto let out a soft _huff_ and nodded slightly, blushing. "A.. alright, fine.. t... They could come in use... sometime."

The bright grin on Ino's face and the large blush Hinata only caused Naruto to blush further herself with her head lowering. She only hoped she wasn't making a mistake.

* * *

It was a bit later that the girls separated, each going their own way back to their homes. Naruto sighed as she walked along the darkening streets as the sun had just started to go down in the distance, swinging the bag of clothing around one arm. _'I've still got clones working, so I should be free to do a few things.'_ But what? She had just finished a rather large prank the other day...

And now she was a Ninja! … Or at least on her way to being one. The next prank would possibly be her last, so it had to be something big. Something so amazing no one would forget.

 _'I'll need some help, I think. But who could I even ask? Someone sneaky, like..._ ' A sudden idea popped into her head and she grinned, running towards her house and stopping in front of the staircase in the front yard that led to the upper set of apartments.

Taking in a deep breath, the girl let out a shout of "Cat!" with her hands cupped around her mouth to add extra volume to it.

The result was instant, though not the desired one. Shouts from nearby homes demanded she be silent, others saying something about 'What cat?' Naruto ignored the cries and stared forward with her hands on her hips, waiting.

After a few more moments, the girl's eye twitched and she began to take in another deep breath, only for a hand to suddenly go over her mouth as a cloaked woman stood behind her with her chest slightly against the back of Naruto's head. Naruto leaned her head back, grinning against the hand on her mouth as she saw the cat-like image on a white mask the figure wore.

"I ask that you do not do that again, Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

Yugao Uzuki was what you would call a simple woman. She enjoyed very certain things, such as moon watching, and was a very loyal Ninja to Konoha. While her skill did place her at a rather high rank in the ANBU, almost a Captain rank, it did not go against her simple desires. To serve Konoha, and to live her life the best she could.

But there were two constant factors that kept her from enjoying her 'simple Ninja life' and one of them was currently pouring a cup of tea right in front of her. The Uzumaki child was often called the 'Bane of the ANBU' because of the constant pressure she put on the group alone.

They were used to fighting impossible odds, going through nearly impenetrable castles, and assassinating the enemies of Konoha.

Catching a child after the Hokage Tower was flooded by what looked like chocolate bunnies? Not on their list of assignments.

Dealing with people constantly trying to harm the same child? Definitely their job, and one Yugao took very seriously until the child began to successfully defend herself.

Having to deal with _that same child_ sneaking into their base and drawing all over their prized cloaks like it was a school assignment? Again, _not on the list._

It kept the ANBU on their toes as they never knew when the child would strike next or cause trouble. In fact, the ANBU have been on high alert since the last incident involving their cloaks. The vents Naruto had went through were on lock down and now there were locker checks every half hour.

They also keep an eye out for any influx of chocolate in the area. It had taken a week for the Genin to scrub the floors, and that was _after_ the ANBU used their Suiton Jutsu to clear it.

But now, the girl seemed to be trying a new strategy. Inviting one of the ANBU into her home... Which was very simple looking and rather pleasant, if Yugao was honest with herself. At least from the sight of the living room. The back yard had clones running all around it, but they seemed to be fixing up a training field of sorts. It was rather well done, too.

It still begged the question as to why she was not only called out, but invited in and served tea. Which was now sitting in front of her as Naruto poured her own cup, smiling as she set the kettle to the side.

"Well, it's not the best stuff, but I hope you enjoy it." The girl stated, taking a sip from her cup.

Yugao, or 'Cat' as she was called with her mask on, simply nodded and took the cup. Instinctively she released a 'Scanning' Jutsu that allowed her view the contents for poison and the like... But the tea was safe, just a bit low quality. She took a sip without raising her mask up, earning an odd look from Naruto.

"Genjutsu, or just a trick?"

Cat stared at her for a moment before placing the cup down and Naruto hummed as she 'sensed' the playful smile behind the mask. "Both. My previous captain taught it to me." Ah, Kakashi as her captain... Those were the days. "I appreciate the drink, Uzumaki-San, but why did you request my presence?"

Naruto clicked her tongue slightly, placing her own cup back on the table. "You don't have to be so formal, but..." She hummed thoughtfully, running her finger along the rim of her cup. "I guess first I want to apologize for..."

"Painting everyone's cloaks?"

"No." Naruto waved her hand dismissively, a playful grin on her face. "I didn't even do yours, and that was intended. I'm not sorry for it. But..." Yugao blinked behind her mask as the young girl in front of her blushed, scratching her cheek slightly. "Well, I'm sorry for uh... seeing you and your friend like … Well you know."

Now it was Yugao's turn to blush, though she was thankful her mask kept Naruto from noticing. Letting out a slight cough, the woman said "Well, it was mostly our fault for doing it in the first place, so I forgive you... Although, I will not forgive it a second time." The warning was said with a bit more of a meek voice than she would have liked, and Naruto in response just pouted slightly.

"Awh, that's a shame." She had a playful smile on her face that reminded Yugao a bit of Anko, though the rose colored blush that was spread across the young blonde's face kept Yugao assured Anko had no influence on the child.

It would take less than a week for flirty comments like that to cause no more embarrassment than breathing, if Anko was involved.

But still, calling her over only to apologize? It was too good to be true. "Was that all you wanted, Uzumaki-San?" She wondered, briefly, if the seat she was sitting on was trapped or something, but dismissed the idea. It would have already went off, if there was one.

Naruto hummed for a moment before shaking her head slightly, "No, I didn't call you over just to apologize for that... I also want your help."

 _That_ was a new one. "My help?"

Nodding, Naruto gave her a foxy grin, brushing a strand of hair over her shoulder, "Yep! See, I know I'm going to be busy soon with training and dealing with Ninja stuff... But I want one last prank. One really big one. I've got plenty of ideas, but all of them seem too small." Naruto bit her lip in a rather cute way, tapping a bit on the edge of her cup with her finger. "So I want your help to figure out what to do."

Yugao simply stared at the girl, almost unable to believe what she was hearing. The number one prankster was asking for _help_ on not only figuring out a prank, but if she was right, she was also asking for help on _doing_ the prank. Such a thing could cost her position in the ANBU! Her simple life!

 _'But...'_ A voice purred in her head, one brought together by the torment of the blonde in front of her... and the constant pull of her best friend who dragged her along several crazy adventures. _'It'll be fun, and you know exactly what kind of prank she could do... Besides, it helps the ANBU.'_

Did it? Yugao wasn't sure, but she continued to let herself stare at Naruto rather than out right refusing like her gut was telling her to.

To help the girl play a prank on the village, and possibly even the ANBU itself... would almost be treason, depending on the contents. Of course, the Hokage would probably let her off pretty easily if she was found out to be involved, but...

She was absolutely certain everyone she worked with would think she had been involved all of the other times a prank had gone bad.

Naruto squirmed at the silence in the room, letting out a slight cough and rubbing the back of her head right after. "O.. Of course you don't have to, and I don't plan on telling anyone you helped if you do.. Unless you wanted me to or Jiji told me to." That last remark about the Hokage did have Yugao smiling a bit. It was nice to know she cared about authority after all... But...

What kind of prank would she even request from the girl? One that could help the ANBU, of course, but...

Wait...

Help the ANBU?

"Very well." The words were coming out of Yugao's mouth before she even registered them, leaning down slightly as Naruto's eyes widened. "I have an idea you could do... Get some paper out." The girl scrambled to her feet, quickly taking out a piece of paper and a pen from what Yugao suspected was her bed room.

The girl quickly took a seat again, sliding the paper over to Yugao at her request. She hesitated for a moment, before slowly beginning to draw. "Alright, first..."

* * *

 _ **AN: Chapter 5... Done! The Milestone for this chapter may take awhile to reach, to give people a fair warning. I've reached a "wall" , so to speak, that I've been neglecting. Not to say I don't have anything planned (I actually have plans up to the end of the Chunin Exam part, but that's quite awhile away), but I've reached a period in my main file that I'm just being lazy over. Expect the next chapter within one to two weeks.**_

 _ **The next chapter will feature a bit of a difference in tone, but the overall story will still be the same.**_

 _ **Be sure to review!**_


	6. The Shadows of Truth and Death

**AN: Hey! This chapter was supposed to come out... like a week ago. It was honestly already written like _two_ weeks ago, but as I've said before, I release chapters out when I reach a milestone in my writing. But I said last chapter that I hit a "wall" of sorts. A wall I have successfully passed, so you can … possibly expect more consistent updates. Two weeks at most, probably.**

 **Now, this chapter was, originally, going to only be about 5 pages long in order to go with some blocks I placed down... But I decided you guys waited way too long and upped it to 13 pages. Spacing it out also added a page, but that doesn't really count.**

 **More Author Notes at the bottom! Be sure to read carefully!**

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

* * *

 _ **The next day, during the night**_

Naruto gulped slightly as she walked through the dark halls she had been instructed to infiltrate, wearing the outfit Sakura had bought for her just yesterday. The only difference was that now Naruto had on a black mask around her face, hiding her hair as well with a careful _**Henge**_.

"Alright, it has to be around here somewhere..." The girl muttered to herself, mentally wondering how she was able to see almost perfectly without any light source, but once again she dismissed it. The mission was the important thing right now, not her strange abilities.

After a few more moments of walking, the blonde stopped in front of a small curve in the wall on her left, causing her to smirk a bit. "Here we go... If Cat-Chan was right, then..." She pushed on the curve and was delighted as the wall seemed to push away from her before a small section of it suddenly shot up.

On the other side of the door was another small hallway, similar to two others Naruto had passed on her way. The girl bent down and pulled an alarm seal off the floor, which had been carefully colored in to match the black tiles, but Cat had told her what to look for.

The alarm seal also only went off if someone over the front of it where the seal itself was located, so flipping the paper over effectively disabled the seal. Which was a pretty bad over sight, if Naruto was honest.

What use were they if they only detected chakra in front of them?

Shaking her head, Naruto created a single clone and nodded towards it. "You know what to do. Keep going down until you find another door." The clone nodded and obeyed, beginning to walk away quickly but silently down the hall Naruto had originally been going down.

The original Naruto went past the door she had opened, being careful not to touch the seal she flipped any further, and smiled as the door closed behind her. She continued along until the hallway turned to the right where she could see light peaking through and she gulped a bit nervously as she put her back to the corner, looking over it once.

As Cat had described, the hallway had a large vent along the floor where light was coming from and above the vent was a series of tubes and pipes that all opened up towards the vent itself, with several of the pipes going straight into the wall on each side of the hallway.

But the main problem was what the vent was covering and what exactly it was revealed. Nervously, Naruto lowered herself down and crawled across the ground, only stopping as she reached the edge of the vent...

And stared right into the ANBU shower room.

Because the ANBU were a secret organization for Konoha, a majority of their members were given public assignments that made them appear to be outside of Konoha itself. The only real exceptions to the rule had mostly quit being an ANBU all together, such as Uchiha Itachi and Kakashi Hatake who both had openly public lives.

But because they weren't supposed to be in Konoha, the ANBU were unable to live in a regular house or walk around with villagers like other Ninja did. This caused an underground living quarters to be built for the remaining ANBU for when they needed rest or when they were given days off.

Which wasn't often, but still.

Because of the nature of the ANBU, a majority of them were still very alert and awake at night, but some of them also returned on the cover of night from missions in order to hide that they had left in the first place. The end result had Naruto staring down at several men and women showering at the same time, about three men and four women...

One of which was Cat herself, which caused Naruto to blush as she felt her eyes lock on to the sight of the purple haired woman's rear dripping water.

It was astounding that Cat had been the one to suggest the path, but she supposed it was not only a safety precaution in case she was caught, but also to get the best results. If Cat was the _only_ ANBU not to be affected by Naruto's prank, then people would suspect her. That couldn't be allowed.

But this also meant Cat was giving Naruto _permission_ to see her naked body a second time... While Naruto was a bit too young to understand what exactly she felt, and much too uninformed, it still left the girl licking her lips slowly with desire.

 _'Move!'_ The sudden voice almost made her jump but she kept herself in check, shivering slightly as the voice spoke again. ' _You have a mission! Move! You can oogle her later! You're on a time limit.'_ Naruto gulped, nodding to her own thoughts as she put her fingers up.

Unconsciously, Naruto began to lower her chakra levels at an amazing rate as she transformed herself into a small rat, which allowed her to run along the vent bars quickly without having the threat of one of the ANBU randomly looking up to see her.

At the end of the vent, "Ratuto" gave Cat's rear another glance before she scurried further down the hall, transforming back to normal a few moments later.

After a bit more walking, the girl grinned wide to herself as she finally reached her target. A large wooden door with a single gold handle. A large 'Keep out!' sign was printed on it, but the girl paid it no mind as she pulled the alert seals off the door frame on both sides.

Carefully, the girl opened the door... and instantly began to grip her head in pain as a rush of memories began to invade her skull.

 _Images of a dark room, filled with hundreds of bodies all piled together with masks covering their faces... Children. Bloody messages across the walls, each saying something around 'Failure', 'Hopeless', 'Too attached to emotion'... and a very small one, that simply said 'Mommy' with the tail end of the "y" dragging down, as if the writer had fallen._

Naruto could feel bile rising in her throat, but she felt her own hand clasp around her mouth as the last bit of memories pulsed into her head.

 _A child. Holding its hand out to her, with dark green eyes staring deep into her own... Surrounded in the bodies of other children... Naruto could see herself, or at least her 'clone' self, reaching out to grab the hand... When it suddenly went limp, just an inch away from her finger tips, and the child's head turned to the side with blood leaking from his eyes and mouth. The clone had promptly dispelled itself not only to warn its creator, but to escape the pain._

It took all of Naruto's will power and the constant shouting of the 'Inner' voice in her head to focus to keep the bile down in her throat. She could feel her hand pushing hard on the ground while the other held tightly onto her own mouth. She could feel the ground under her fingers beginning to make small holes in the ground, curving as she curled her fingers.

 _'Focus, you idiot! Get sick later! Your mission! Stay in control!'_ Naruto nodded in agreement with her Inner voice, gulping down the bile that gathered and slowly pushing herself to her feet. Wordlessly, the girl made a _**Kage Bunshin**_ and waved it slightly, not wanting to see the clone's own pained expression as it felt everything she did. The clone was created to replace the one that destroyed itself, to redo the seals and prevent anyone from noticing she had went down that way.

Surprisingly, the clone did not follow her mental orders to fix the seals the dispelled clone had forgotten to redo, but wrapped her arms around the original. Naruto shivered and returned the gesture, holding the clone close before patting it softly on the back. "Thank you... But get going." She muttered softly, getting a nod from the clone who turned itself into a rat and began to scurry off the way Naruto came.

Slowly, the blonde got to her feet once more and looked around at the room she had managed to get into before the memories had invaded her. In front of her was a large collection of pipes and machines which spread across the entire room, excluding the door where Naruto came from...

All of which connected to the entire water supply of Konoha, though it was not the main filter, but merely a large part of it.

Shuddering slightly and shaking off the last bit of sorrow that gripped her heart, Naruto pulled a yellow bottle out of her pocket... and got to work.

* * *

It was about an hour later that a round piece of the earth began to lift itself up somewhere in the Konoha forest. Soon after, a blonde girl pulled herself out, panting slightly as she crawled away from the opening which lowered itself down after she left it.

After a few moments of panting, the girl let out a loud gagging sound as she emptied the contents of her stomach at last with tears streaming down her face slowly.

The blonde was glad the opening was near a stream as well, as she wasted no time in crawling over to the small stream and splashing herself in the face several times. It took a few more moments for her to catch her breath before she rose to her feet, panting and shaking her head.

Naruto took a deep breath to calm herself and shook her head, feeling her hands slowly clench into fists. As her mind allowed her to get in touch with all the emotions she had back in the tunnels, she could feel her disgust, her sorrow...

And most importantly, her _rage_.

It was an insult, a horrible insult to life to see so many children killed...

 _'And yet not a damn thing is said about it!?'_ For someone like Naruto who was treated as a demon for something she had no knowledge about, for doing such minor things like painting a few walls... She was treated like a monster. But this? This was _beyond_ what a monster was capable of, yet no one was treated like her.

It was impossible that literally no one had noticed it before. Someone had to have put them there, for one, and _this_ was supposed to be Konoha? A place where they hid the corpses of many children down below, because they were failures for some twisted game?

Did the Hokage know? If he did...

 _'No, he doesn't know. Jiji would not let something like that happen.'_ Naruto reasoned with herself, though it did nothing to stop the fury in her heart. _'I have to tell him. And Cat too, consequences be damned. I'll find whoever the hell did that and...'_

With a sudden movement, Naruto's fist slammed into the nearest tree, causing the bark to crack and groan in irritation at suddenly being struck. But Naruto did not apologize as her eyes flashed red, and she did not turn back as the tree she struck began to lean slightly away from where it had been hit.

 _'I'll kill them.'_

* * *

Naruto huffed as she walked up to her home, debating on going straight into the apartment she usually lived in or...

Her body made the choice before her mind considered it, and she found herself opening the square attachment to the building that led to the previous land lord's office. It was rather small, about the size of most of the bedrooms, with a single bed small bed in the far left corner.

A large desk was on the far right corner facing the door with various papers scattered across it, none of which were too relevant anymore except for some papers claiming Naruto as the owner of the buildings, and a large arm chair resting behind it against the wall. There were no windows in the room

Naruto closed the door behind her, locked it and then pulled the blanket off the bed, sliding into the arm chair. She pulled open two drawers on the desk, starting by pulling out a small lamp which she placed on top of the desk itself. The lamp had a round base and a small orb on the top of the pole holding it up, but it was fairly small since it had to sit inside her desk.

Placing her hand on the base, Naruto sent a small jolt of chakra through it which caused the lamp to light up, although it would only remain lit for a limited amount of time.

In truth, Naruto knew she didn't even need the lamp, since she could see almost perfectly in the dark, but the light helped clear her head. The blonde moved slightly and pulled a manga out from the second drawer she opened, flipping it open to the page she left off of which was marked by a thin white feather.

 _'I can't sleep, so I guess I'll just read all night.'_ It was a reasonable thing to do. With the rage bubbling in her heart, the girl wasn't quite up to go to bed like she originally planned... and had no desire to pound away her frustrations just yet. That would come _after_ the talk with the Hokage.

Plus, she had nearly reached the end of the arc she was currently on and had already completed copying the technique down from it. _'The next arc probably has something interesting I can try to learn.'_ Naruto thought to herself, trying to keep herself distracted as she squirmed in her chair.

But despite her best efforts to stay awake and read, the soft comedy of the manga began to make her relax in her seat. It didn't take long for her to begin to doze off, laying against the arm of the chair while her hand held loosely onto the manga on the final page.

The light of the lamp slowly dimmed... and darkness took the room.

* * *

 _ **The next day**_

It was rather early in the morning that Naruto found herself being jolted awake by the door opening quickly. She blinked drowsily up at the figure in her doorway as she lifted her sore neck off the arm of her chair. "Huh, wha..?" Before she could really react, two ANBU were standing in front of her desk as she rubbed her eyes slowly.

"Uzumaki-San..." That voice was definitely Cat's, and looking up revealed that it was, in fact, Cat who was talking to her. The other one, at a glance, had a rabbit mask and seemed to be hanging back slightly from the other, wearing his cloak a bit over his head to hide his hair.

Naruto remained silent as she stared up at Cat with half opened eyes, letting the woman continue "Hokage-Sama wishes to speak to you over some matters before you go on to meet your team."

Blinking owlishly, Naruto nodded slowly and sighed as she picked up her fallen book on the ground, placing it back into her drawer. "Will I be gone long? I kinda planned on taking a shower first." Naruto questioned as she stood up, smiling as Cat shook her head.

"No, it should only take a short amount of time, unless something else comes up. You have a few hours before meeting your team." Naruto nodded, taking Cat's hand as the woman held it out. The two stepped outside with Rabbit following, closing the door behind them, before the three disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't quite sure how he felt at the moment.

In front of him was his favorite grandchild, wiggling back and forth in her chair while staring at him with her bright blue eyes full of curiosity. Behind her stood Cat, one of his most faithful ANBU and the one who had watched over Naruto for quite some time, though only when she was a young child.

So it was understandable that she requested she be nearby during this meeting, but in a way it made it harder.

Harder for him to admit his failure.

Naruto seemed to understand his distress as well, as she suddenly stood up and pulled at her jacket, grinning at him. "Hey, Jiji! Look! The girls got me a new outfit." She spun once, letting the jacket fly up slightly before she stopped, facing the Hokage once more. "So now I've got something else to wear."

Hiruzen chuckled softly, placing his chin on his hands as he smiled. "I can see that. It looks very nice on you, Naruto-Chan. You look like a real Kunoichi." This caused the blonde to blush prettily, scratching her cheek.

"Y... You think so?"

"Indeed. Why, I thought I was dealing with a young Jounin when you first walked in." The old Hokage teased, causing the girl's face to light up even more.

"O.. Oh hush, Jiji." She muttered with a soft smile on her face, sitting back down in her chair. "Er... So what did you call me up here for? It's pretty early."

In an instant, Hiruzen's smile fell and he let out a soft, tired sigh. "Well... This is not easy to say, Naruto-Chan." Naruto stared at him with her head tilted, but suddenly shot up with her eyes widening.

"T.. There isn't a shortage on ramen is there!? I swear, I'll...!" Hiruzen held his hands up, chuckling softly while Cat palmed her mask behind Naruto, earning a slight pout from the girl as she glanced back at her. "What? What did I say!?"

"Nothing, nothing." Cat answered with a quiet voice, waving her hand slightly. "Just let the Hokage speak." Naruto let out a _hmph_ but sat back down, crossing her arms over her chest.

The 'Professor' chuckled a bit more, before letting out another soft sigh. "Thank you, Naruto-Chan. You do make it easy to relax." The girl grinned at that, leaning back in her chair as Hiruzen continued, "But what I have to talk to you about is an S-ranked secret... that involves you."

"Eh?" She blinked a couple times, a joke about her ramen recipe on her tongue, but the hard stare she got from the Hokage held her back as he stood up.

"You recall the horror that befell our village so many years ago, Naruto? You were just an infant at the time, but..."

"I know it." Naruto clenched her fists, chewing a bit on her lip as she spoke. "How could I not? I'm reminded of it every time my birthday comes up... The day the Kyuubi attacked Konoha."

That day was always dark for Naruto, and she often spent it locked in her house or with the Hokage himself. It always hurt when her friends asked why she had not attended the festival, and she was unable to tell them that she had been nearly beaten the last time she tried.

Hiruzen smiled sadly at her, nodding his head as he turned and walked towards the large window in the room, staring out at the village below. "Then you know that the Kyuubi was thought to be destroyed by the Yondaime, who gave his life for it." He did not need to look to know the girl nodded.

That was, after all, the primary point of the story.

"That... was not the complete truth." Hiruzen admitted, turning around to look at the young child he had grown to care for. She was simply staring at him, her head tilted to the side and curiosity stretched across her face. "In truth, the beast was too strong to be destroyed. It could only... be sealed."

There was a brief pause as Hiruzen watched the emotions fly across Naruto's face, going through surprise, sadness, and finally into shock as she slowly swallowed. "Y... You... don't mean?" The great Hokage merely stared at her silently as she slowly pointed at herself, "M.. Me? He sealed it in me?"

Slowly, the man nodded, his frown growing as Naruto leaned back in her chair with her mouth hanging open and shock clear on her face. He decided to simply continue his explanation, "There was no other way, I'm afraid. You were the only child born on that day... and your blood as an Uzumaki was merely an extra boon for it. Only the Uzumaki Clan were able to hold such a powerful creature at bay... including in their own bodies."

Naruto could not help but fall back into her chair, unable to really process what she was being told. She had the Kyuubi, _the_ most powerful of the Tailed Beasts sealed within her and that was why everyone treated her like crap? _'Because of something... I had no control over. They'd all be dead if I wasn't born that day, but they treat me like I was the Kyuubi!'_ She kept the anger off her face, but she could feel it bubbling beneath the surface.

But then she realized what else Hiruzen had said, and Naruto sat up a bit more, staring at the man she viewed as a grand father with wide eyes. "Clan? I have a clan?" There was hope in her voice, a sort of... longing that gripped at the Hokage's heart like ice.

He smiled bitterly, staring out the window once more with his hands behind his back. It seemed he would have to chat with the school adviser's as well, if they were skipping over the Uzumaki history without informing him.

"Yes, you did. But... I am afraid you may be the only one left." He did not turn his gaze to see her hurt expression, and instead continued to focus on the village below. "The Uzumaki were an amazing clan and even had their own Hidden Village where they lived. It was called Uzushiogakure (Village Hidden by Whirling Tides), located in the Land of Whirlpools. It was there they lived... and fell."

Naruto licked her lips, gulping down the sorrow that was threatening to overtake her. She shivered slightly as she felt Cat place a hand on her shoulder and she gripped it with her own hand, smiling thankfully up at her. Turning her gaze back to her grandfather, she had only one question...

"How?"

Hiruzen hesitated before answering, letting out a soft sigh. "They were targeted by three separate factions all at once. I'm afraid it was never said exactly who was involved, though Iwa is a prime suspect, but they were viewed as too dangerous during the war because of their natural talent in Sealing Techniques. The one that holds the Kyuubi at bay is one of theirs as well."

Naruto gulped slightly again, nodding her head. "I guess it runs in the family..." At Hiruzen's questioning stare, Naruto smiled bitterly herself, staring down at the ground. "Being hated... for what we _could_ do, rather than what we _have_ done."

Hiruzen's eyes widened slightly before he relaxed, smiling sadly himself as he saw the truth in the child's words. Slowly, he knelt down in front of Naruto, smiling softly at her as he saw the tears running down her whiskered cheeks. "I do not hate you, Naruto-Chan... and I do not believe Cat does either. Nor your friends."

Cat nodded firmly, kneeling down as well with her hand still resting on Naruto's shoulder. "Do not fret, little one." The woman muttered softly, rubbing Naruto's hair with her free hand, casually fixing the loop that held the ponytail together. "You merely need to shine brighter for them to see the true you. The one you want them to see." Those were words Itachi had once said to her, back when he had been the captain of her squad at a young age.

Before he went crazy.

Naruto nodded slightly, sniffing a bit as the Hokage rose up, heading back to his desk and picking up one scroll off of it. It was dark blue with a spiral for a latch to hold it closed. He placed it gently on Naruto's lap, smiling down at her. "This is a scroll from your clan, it contains several of their Jutsu and their basic fighting style... There are more, but I'm afraid I promised I would not give them to you until you were at least a Chunin."

Naruto gratefully took the scroll, smiling a bit. "Thank you, Jiji... But who did you promise that?"

"Your mother." The man replied easily, earning a wide eyed look from Naruto as the man sat down on the edge of his desk. "It was on her death bed, after the Kyuubi had been sealed into you. She said it was up to me to give them to you or not, but that she'd prefer you obtained all she had to offer after you were at least Chunin. If you'd like, I can give them all to you now, but..."

"It'd be going against her last wishes." Naruto finished, sighing gently. "May I at least... know her name?"

Hiruzen hesitated, glancing at Cat, before shrugging slightly, "Yes. Her name was Uzumaki Kushina, a proud S-ranked Jounin of Konoha. I ask that you keep that information to yourself, however, because she had many enemies... But she was one of the few that could fight the Yondaime to a stand still, even with his _**Hiraishin**_."

Cat stiffened slightly beside Naruto, knowing exactly who that was herself, but Naruto paid it no mind as she smiled to herself. She finally knew one of her parents... Or at least their name. Her mother had even fought evenly with the Yondaime! _'And once I'm Chunin, I'll get to know more about my clan too. I'll have to work really hard! To become even stronger than she was!'_

Hiruzen could not help but chuckle as he saw clench her fist with determination in her eyes, staring intently at the scroll he had given her. "There is one last thing to discuss, Naruto. Regarding the seal..." Naruto looked up at him just as the door snapped open and a young blonde Chunin was standing there with his arm out stretched in the action of opening the door.

"Hokage-Sama!" He cried out, his brown eyes full of panic and his blonde hair shimmer slightly from the light.

"I do believe I said I didn't want any disturbances while in this meeting..." The Professor noted, frowning at the blonde at the door. "I don't believe I know you, either. I can't recall anyone with that shade of hair..." Which was a slight lie, as the blond girl he was just speaking to had the same shade.

The Chunin's face was also slightly familiar, but...

"That's because I don't usually _have_ this hair color, Hokage-Sama!" The man explained, moving closer to his leader's desk. "It's because of something strange in the water. We've got various complaints from multiple houses all over the village and a majority of our Ninja forces over the same thing..."

Hiruzen frowned, slowly looking over at Naruto who was staring out the window, purposely not meeting his gaze. The Hokage noted that Cat was doing the same, being back in her position behind Naruto's chair. The Professor resisted the urge to sigh, and instead turned his gaze back to the Chunin. "And what complaints are those?"

The Chunin pointed at his hair, frowning. "Everyone is getting blonde hair, Hokage-Sama!"

There was silence in the room as the Hokage considered what the man was saying...

But could not hold back a laugh as he imagined Kakashi with blonde hair. The surprised, and slightly annoyed, look the Chunin gave him caused him to pull back his laughter, though he could not keep the smile off his face.

"Is that so? Is it harmful?"

The man shook his head. "No one has reported being in pain because of it, Hokage-Sama, except for their eyes."

Hiruzen raised his eyebrow slightly as Naruto snickered a bit, though she covered it up by quickly scratching her cheek. "Their eyes?"

The man nodded. "Yes, there are complaints of people having pain in their eyes from seeing so many blonde heads in one place." The tone of his voice indicated the man was amused by it, but his face remained in a neutral frown, probably because he was a victim as well.

"I see." Hiruzen chuckled softly, nodding his head. "I will deal with it soon. You are dismissed."

"Hai!" With that, the Chunin saluted and exited the room, closing the door behind him. Hiruzen turned his gaze down to Naruto, smiling at her with amusement clear on his face.

"Do you have something to tell me, Naruto-Chan?"

The blonde just grinned slightly, letting out a "Noooo~? Why would I..." Suddenly, her grin fell as images flashed through her mind and her hands gripped her legs with her gaze turning to the ground, surprising the other two. "Actually, yeah... I do."

Hiruzen frowned at the girl's expression, lowering himself slightly so they were at the same level. "What happened, Naruto-Chan?" The girl looked up at him, and he was briefly taken back by the level anger in her eyes.

"I have a question first... Do you..." Naruto paused, thinking of the best way to word her question. "Do you think... being attached to emotion, makes you a failure?" Hiruzen's eyes widened at the question and he frowned, slowly shaking his head.

"No. Casting away emotion only makes one weak.. and less than human." There was, of course, one person he knew that _did_ think that emotions were a weakness. But he never agreed with that man, and personally saw to it that he did not influence others to think in a similar way.

Naruto seemed to accept his answer, nodding slightly. "Good... I'm glad..." She seemed to relax a bit in her chair, turning her gaze back downward. "I went through the underground tunnels for the latest prank, to get at the water supply and a few other things..."

The Hokage gave her a surprised look and looked up towards Cat, although he arched his eyebrow as the woman seemed to be focused completely on Naruto's form. _'Hmm, it seems she's feeling guilty about something...'_ Hiruzen decided to question her later, and instead focused on Naruto. "How did you get into the tunnels?"

"I found an opening near the north east of the village, a bit past the academy." The blonde admitted, keeping her gaze downward.

It was then that Cat spoke up, putting her hand on Naruto's head. "That is incorrect. Hokage-Sama, I freely admit to have assisted Uzumaki-San in this assignment." Both of them looked up at her in surprise, but she ignored their looks as she kept speaking. "I told her of the tunnel's entrance and what she could find there. She handled piecing together what she could do that would be both harmless and very obvious."

"C.. Cat!" The blonde snapped, huffing slightly. "I thought you said you didn't want to be associated with it!"

"I don't. But only to my peers. The Hokage needs to be informed, and... I need to take responsibility for anything that may have hurt you down there." The last part was said at a whisper, but it was not lost on the other two.

Naruto merely stared at her with wide eyes while Hiruzen gave a slight smile. "It seems you care for Naruto-Chan quite a bit, Cat." He chuckled as he imagined the blush underneath the woman's mask. "But why did you assist in this one, and have you assisted in any others?"

Cat shook her head slightly before answering. "No, I haven't. I barely helped in this one as well. She said she wasn't sure what to do, because all the ones she made up were too small. I suggested she use the tunnels... in order to get more attention on them. My captain has declined me requesting to speak to you about it multiple times, and I figured this was the best and easiest way."

"Oh?" That was news to the Hokage. Even if a request was declined, the papers still made their way to him so he could review them himself. If he was receiving no papers at all, that meant the captain of Cat's squad was purposely keeping his eyes off those tunnels...

Turning his gaze back to Naruto, he gently took the girl's hand to help her relax. "Why don't you explain to me what you saw, Naruto? From start to finish." The blonde slowly nodded, taking in a deep breath before she began.

"Well... I went to the tunnel entrance Cat gave me and began to go down it for a bit... I kept making clones to go down the hidden doors which were super easy to find by the way. I mean..." She rolled her eyes slightly. "A curve in the wall in a mostly straight hallway is pretty obvious when you can see in the dark."

"See in the dark?" Cat repeated, frowning as Naruto pointed at her eyes.

"Yeah, I can see almost perfectly in the dark, so I didn't need a light. Kinda always been like that." She hummed, ignoring the look the other two shared during her pause. "Anyways, I followed the map Cat drew me, though I burned it before I went down, and kept going through doors... The alarm seals were super easy to get past, too. You can just turn them over and they're useless. " Hiruzen frowned at that, thinking the tunnels had been a bit more guarded than that... At least from what he was told.

She waved her hand slightly. "It was about... probably an hour in that I came across the final set of doors before it looped around. I went down the one that led to the ANBU showers while my clone kept going down the hallway past that..." She gulped slowly, gripping her legs again. "And … then I saw it."

Hiruzen frowned as he felt the anger building up inside Naruto, and he gently rubbed her hand with his own. "Calm yourself... What did you see?"

The blonde took a deep breath to calm herself with one of her hands gripping Hiruzen's own. "The clone I sent forward... found a room full of bodies. Dead bodies... Children." The Hokage kept the shock off his face, and instead continued to have his concerned expression as he held Naruto's hand. "The walls had writing on them... calling them failures for having emotions..."

She sniffed once, tears beginning to form in her eyes as she shook slightly. "One... reached towards me. He was still alive... but..." She shook her head, feeling Cat's hands on her shoulders, which did help steady her emotions some what. "He died right as I was about to grab him. There was blood coming out of his mouth and eyes..."

The room fell silent as Naruto sniffed, and slowly Hiruzen stood up, walking back behind his desk. "I see... I am sorry that you had to find that, Naruto-Chan... But I am also thankful." Naruto looked up at her grandfather and could not keep the surprise off her face as she saw the normally peaceful looking Hokage have an anger filled expression as he looked out the window. "It alarms me that such a tragedy was taken place. Rest assured, I will find who is responsible... and I will punish them accordingly."

Naruto smiled at that, nodding her head. "Thank you... Hokage-Sama." She sniffed once, rubbing her eyes slightly. Hiruzen smiled slightly, knowing the girl did greatly appreciate it if she was referring to him as Hokage.

"I have two questions, however." She blinked at that, looking back up at Hiruzen as he took a seat back behind his desk. "The first... is if you wish for a Yamanaka to erase the memory of those children from your mind." Such a thing would be very dangerous, especially for the Yamanaka... But seeing such a horrible sight could leave a heavy impression on one's mind, and Hiruzen knew there were some things better left forgotten.

The answer was instant, and honestly the one he expected. "No!" She shouted, slamming her hands down on his desk as she stood. "I refuse! I can't forget him. I _won't_ forget him. I'm the only one... the only one that saw his last moments." Hiruzen stared at her, glancing at his desk as a small wet spot appeared on it from Naruto's tears. "I won't let myself forget that... So they aren't just forgotten... _fodder_ for some sick game."

Her words brought a small smile to his face, and he found himself nodding in agreement with her. "Yes, I agree that is the best choice... We should not forget the fallen, no matter how young. I will make sure the one responsible is taken care of." Naruto nodded sharply at that, though her gaze made him a tad nervous with the anger it the blue orbs held.

He cleared his throat slightly, leaning back in his chair. "The second question is... Would you and Cat like a long term A-Rank mission?" This got wide stares from the two, though he only noticed Cat's due to years of dealing with those masks. "It is a simple mission, one you can do at your own pace, but it is very important."

"I am not sure Uzumaki-San should do such a mission when she is just starting to be a Genin..." Cat pointed out, earning a soft chuckle from her leader.

"It is something she has been doing for many years now, Cat." He smiled a bit wider as Naruto tilted her head, her tears forgotten. "As you have proven time and time again... We are too lax in our security. Not only that, but it seems we have people on the _inside_ trying to strike us as well..."

The man leaned forward, clasping his hands together slightly and resting his chin on them. "What I am requesting is that you, Cat, find any holes in our security and inform Naruto here. Then, Naruto, you will preform a 'prank' in order to alert everyone to it... Much like you have been doing already."

"I agree with this idea." Cat stated, standing beside Naruto now in front of the Hokage's desk. "I have tried to inform you of breaks in our security multiple times with my Captain refusing each time to allow it. It was only when Uzumaki-San started her pranks that I ceased, since she did my job for me." Hiruzen chuckled slightly, looking over at Naruto who had a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I … suppose I could try, but what about my team? And missions?" She frowned, staring at him. "I just became a Genin. I don't know if I'll have time for that..."

"You have the _**Kage Bunshin**_ , do you not?" Hiruzen pointed out, causing Naruto's eyes to widen slightly. "Again, this mission is best to be left to you two at your own pace... and I do not want it interfering with any training or missions either of you have. But if both of you could spare a _**Kage Bunshin**_ from time to time to handle this request, I will make sure any notes you make are handled accordingly, and that you are paid for your work." He turned his gaze towards Cat, nodding slightly.

"In regards to this, I will give you, Cat, an official title as 'Security Manager' if you accept this mission. You will have full freedom to any building in Konoha and access to any supplies you may need. So long as none of these 'pranks' are harmful, you have permission to go as far as you wish with them. I trust neither of you will abuse this power I am giving you."

The two girls looked at each other before turning their gaze back to him, nodding, though it was Cat that spoke up first. "Yes, Hokage-Sama. We will not abuse this power, and Uz..." She paused, shaking her head. "Naruto-San and I will not betray your trust. Would you like a report of what actions we took after a... prank is complete?"

Hiruzen chuckled, nodding his head and smiling at the way Naruto's face lit up when Cat called her 'Naruto', rather than the formal 'Uzumaki-San.' "Yes. You may submit a request so I can take care of any fall out a prank may have. I would like written reports, as well, but for now... What exactly did you do for this one, Naruto-Chan?"

The blue eyes that held so much anger just a moment ago lit up as she began to go over the details of her prank. "Well! It's a really special dye I made myself with a bunch of flowers and some actual dye. It's fast acting and mixes well with water, so no one could see it... But it's also edible and non-toxic, that way no one got hurt by it. Kinda tastes like a strawberry though." She hummed slightly to herself, while Hiruzen gave her an amused expression.

"How long does it last?"

"'Bout a day, give or take. I also didn't hit every house with it." She grinned a bit, "I mostly focused on Ninja houses, and I skipped over a couple friends like Sakura-Chan... I wouldn't want to mess with her pink hair." The Hokage chuckled softly, nodding.

"I see. That is very well thought out, Naruto-Chan. Are you under the effect of the dye as well, Cat?"

The question caused the purple haired woman to flinch slightly before she nodded. "Yes, I am using a Genjutsu to keep my hair normal. I expect many of the Chunin or above Shinobi will be doing the same."

"I'm immune since it's the same shade as my hair. Now 'Biki won't be able to snag me for it by finding some of my hair." Naruto grinned, sticking her tongue out a bit.

Chuckling, the Hokage nodded slightly. "I suppose that's true. Now... I understand you are meeting your team today, so I should not keep you any longer. Thank you for the information you found... and thank you for the laugh." He turned his gaze towards Cat as Naruto grinned widely. "Cat, escort Naruto-Chan home and then return here so we may fill out your new position."

"Hai, Hokage-Sama." Cat responded, placing her hand on Naruto's shoulder who smiled as she felt the woman's chakra beginning to wrap around her.

"Be sure to let me get a shot in on that guy when you find him!" The blonde shouted out, right as the two disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Hiruzen smiled until the two were completely gone, a frown appearing soon after. _'Danzo... If you are truly the one behind this, then I have no more desire to protect you. Your ideals have gone too far and have taken innocent life...'_ He lowered his head slightly, staring down at the papers on his desk.

 _'If it is truly you, Danzo... then I will have no choice but to end you myself. I have ignored too many mistakes in my lifetime, and I will not allow my village to be harmed by another.'_

* * *

 **AN: Bit of a darker theme for this chapter, ne? It's to set up a plot line far later in the story, one I haven't reached in my main writing yet, but it is planned. Is it Danzo? Who knows.**

 **I do, but I'm not telling you anything.**

 **Sorry to those who may or may not have enjoyed that 'dark' scene up there, but it was needed. To those who don't enjoy that sort of thing... don't worry. It's not going to be the theme of this story, but I'm not going to ignore the possibility of death either.**

 **Take that how you will.**

 **Small question: Do you guys prefer the 'English Text' next to techniques that appear for the first time? Like if it's the first time a technique appears would you like it to be:**

" _ **Henge!**_ **(Transform)"**

 **or**

" _ **Henge!**_ **"**

 **And that's it? The description context of the techniques will let you know what they do, and I use a pretty basic translator for everything that isn't an actual Jutsu made in the show... So it'd be easy to find out what they mean.**

 **I personally feel like adding the (Namehere) thing kind of ruins the point of having it there, but at the same time I can see how it'd be annoying to just read something and not know what it means. I refuse to not use the Japanese words, however.**

 **Techniques, in my opinion, should always be in that style, regardless if their name is by the technique or not.**

 **Anyways! Please review and tell me what you think! Next chapter will be at the next milestone, which for those curious, is about every 25 to 30 pages. So, basically, I try to write /at least/ one to two chapters before uploading another one. Gives me time to fix things if anyone points it out in reviews.**


	7. The End and The Start

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

 _ **AN: Hey! Been awhile, right? Sorry about the huge delay, just had a couple things come up that interrupted my writing, but I managed to hit my 'milestone' of sorts just today, so I decided to upload! I felt pretty bad, considering this chapter was already well written far before the last chapter was put up... But I decided to stick to my milestone thing, that way I don't run out of chapters later on.**_

 _ **More discussion about this chapter at the bottom! But please enjoy!**_

* * *

 _ **Later... Sometime around noon**_

Naruto yawned slightly as she made her way through the front doors of the Academy, smiling a bit to herself as she put her hands behind her head. She was dressed back in the outfit the girls had got for her, including the jacket which was zipped up to cover her chest with the orange side on the out. She also had a dark blue kunai pouch, where she kept several tools to use.

She still had her hair back in a ponytail as well, deciding that the pig-tails she used to wear all the time was best left behind in the academy. It was also a bit more manageable, but she also didn't want to get slapped in the face by one of her clones running by her. And since she could make over a hundred of them without even trying...

Well, maybe it'd be a good attack.

 _'Uzumaki Spinning Jutsu~'_ She playfully thought to herself, grinning as she spun once before entering the usual class room where everyone was supposed to be gathering.

Which they were, as she could tell from first glance at the numerous Genin she knew all sitting at their usual desks, with Ino and Sakura waving at her as she entered.

Everyone was there that she could see except Iruka, and none of them were sporting blonde hair at first glance. Sadly, that included Sasuke who she _did_ target, but she figured he was either using a Genjutsu... or he didn't wash himself, at least not using water from the pipes. She began to scan the class for those that _did_ get hit and...

"Hey, Goldie!" The blonde called out, distracting Naruto from her scanning. She grinned over at her friend and took two steps towards her before jumping forward, placing her foot on the lowest desk where Nara Shikamaru was sitting with his head down.

Thankfully for the Nara, Naruto didn't step right on his head this time, but right beside it instead.

A quick jump up put her two levels higher and she smiled up at Ino who sat beside Sakura in the final set of desks, one level above her, near the windows. The girl sat on the edge of the desk, facing the two girls, rather than facing the front of the classroom.

"Hey, Ino-Chan~ Sakura-Chan!" Naruto called out, turning her head to her left and grinning at Hinata, who was already seated beside Naruto. "And Hinata-Chan, of course!"

Hinata smiled and nodded in greeting, seeming a little out of it. Before Naruto could become concerned, however, Sakura spoke up. "Hey Naruto, what did you do? I've heard a lot of people complaining about you today." There was a bit of suspicion in her voice, but there was an amused smile as well.

Repressing a grin, Naruto gave it her best to have a confused expression on her face with her head tilted to the side. "Me? I just got up a bit ago, took a shower, collected a bunch of stuff for today..."She suddenly perked up, smiling brightly. "Oh yeah! And I found out I had a clan! Jiji told me."

 _This_ caused the girls to look at her in shock, and below her on the 2nd set of desks, Sasuke glanced back curiously as well with Kiba sitting beside him with his legs propped up.

Sakura was the first to recover, and as someone who read a _lot_ of books, it sounded strange that she had never heard of an Uzumaki clan before. "You did? I've never heard of the Uzumaki Clan." Sakura admitted, voicing her own thoughts.

Naruto nodded slightly, not noticing Iruka entering the room as she spoke. "Yeah! I was surprised too. They apparently had their own village called Uzushiogakure! But..." She frowned, sighing slightly. "They were all killed before I was even born, apparently. Sometime during the war is what Jiji said."

"Oh no..." Ino whispered, frowning. It had been great news to hear Naruto finally had a family to call her own... But they were all dead? That meant even though she _had_ a family, she was the last one now.

Naruto suddenly smiled, however, despite the depressing mood the conversation had went. "But isn't it great? I had a clan. And that means I can learn about them." Her smile grew wider, and the girls returned the smiles themselves... Although it was easy for them to tell that Naruto was forcing herself to smile.

A soft cough brought their attention to the stairway beside the desks and Naruto grinned up at Iruka as he smiled down at them, holding a clipboard under one arm. "Heyo, Iruka-Sensei! What's up?"

"Well, I overheard what you were saying about the Uzumaki clan... But are you sure you girls have never heard of them?" At their simultaneous nods, Iruka let out a soft sigh. _'I'll have to speak with Hokage-Sama about this.'_ He thought, though outwardly he smiled, "Well, the Uzumaki Clan were actually Konoha's largest allies during the war. We were very close to them, due to the Shodai Hokage marrying the Mito Uzumaki, who was the head of the clan at the time."

Naruto's eyes sparkled at the story, which was surprising a bit to Iruka since she usually didn't pay attention to his history lessons. "Really!? They were that close to Konoha?"

Iruka smiled, nodding his head. "Indeed, in fact..." He turned slightly, showing off the red spiral on the shoulder of his outfit. "This spiral was the Uzumaki symbol and it's placed on many things that mark it as an Uzumaki. All vests, several doors, and a lot of buildings have these symbols around the village in order to honor the relationship we had with the Uzumaki Clan. They designed a lot of our seals, too, including the explosive tags many use today."

Naruto smiled brightly at the news, but Sakura frowned, sharing a glance with a frowning Hinata. "But..." Sakura started, rubbing her chin slightly, "If they're so important... why is this the first I've heard of them?"

Iruka sighed softly. "I'm afraid I don't know the answer of that, my subjects were all about the period _before_ the villages were founded... So I never was given the choice to go over the Uzumaki, since they were relatively minor until then. I'll definitely talk to the Hokage about this, though. It seems someone isn't doing their job right." Sakura nodded slightly, while Naruto looked away slightly.

She knew it was probably because of her that the clan was being forgotten. Someone probably started to cut out the Uzumaki section of the lessons because of her last name and nothing but.

Iruka smiled, patting Naruto's head suddenly as he saw her depressed look. "Don't worry, Naruto. If you'd like, I can tell you all about the Uzumaki Clan later, okay?" Her face lit up in a smile which Iruka mirrored, pulling his hand back. "Anyways, we've got the team assignments ready... So sit in your chair, the right way please, and get ready."

The blonde stuck her tongue out, settling into the chair beside Hinata as Iruka walked back down, turning to face the class with a wide smile on his face. "Well class, this may be the last time I see you behind these desks." Ino turned towards Sakura, mouthing 'May be?' to her, earning just a slight shrug in return. Iruka smiled a bit, noticing the exchange, and looked down at his clipboard. "You've all done very well, and I'm proud to have had you as my students."

There were several smiles at this, but Ami, one of the more notorious civilian students, held her hand up. At Iruka's nod, the purple haired girl suddenly pointed at Naruto, frowning. "Why is she here, Sensei? She failed the exam! She's not a Kunoichi!" Iruka sighed slightly as Naruto shot up, pointing dramatically at the girl.

"I passed with flying colors, Ami-teme! And as my first job as a Kunoichi of Konoha... is to point our your wig!" The blonde shouted, causing Ami's face to light up in a red blush as everyone's eyes turned towards her.

"W...w... Wig? I.. I don't know what you're talking about..!" The girl stuttered out, taking a step back. This, of course, caused her to squeak as she fell back onto her chair, which caused her wig to slip slightly to the left on her head, revealing the blonde hair underneath.

The class, minus a few select people, burst into laughter while Naruto smiled knowingly, "Oh Ami-Chan... If you wanted to have hair like mine." She ran her fingers through her hair for effect, pausing as she smiled at the girl who glared at her in irritation. "You just had to ask, no need to be embarrassed~"

"It's not that, you... you blonde bimbo!" Ami snapped back, glaring and fixing her wig with a heavy blush on her face. "It's some stupid prank of yours, I'm sure! It was fine until I took a shower..." The last part was muttered under her breath as Iruka clapped his hands twice to try and get the attention back on him.

"Alright, that's enough. You can't act like you're in the academy anymore, girls. You're going to be Ninja starting today!" The Chunin sighed as Ami continued to glare at Naruto and he shook his head slightly. "But Naruto here did pass the test, you don't have to worry about that." Ami let out a soft _huff_ , settling down in her chair and sending another glare Naruto's way, to which the blonde just grinned at.

Iruka cleared his throat and looked down at his clip board. "Alright, Team One is..."

* * *

 _ **Two days ago, during Naruto's shopping trip...**_

Sarutobi Hiruzen, otherwise known as the Third Hokage or 'Sandaime', smiled to himself as he settled into a large plush chair reserved for him only, located behind his desk in the Hokage's chamber, thinking over events that had taken place just the day before.

Mizuki had forced Naruto to steal the Forbidden Scroll of Seals, and yet... it was key in allowing Naruto to pass her test. While he could have easily pulled some strings to get her to pass anyways, it would have caused an uproar for him 'favoring' the "demon child."

Such a thought wasn't completely untrue, since he did care for Naruto quite a bit, but he would treat any child in her circumstance the same way. It wasn't really her fault she could not create a normal _**Bunshin**_ either, as far as he could tell.

But... the number of students going up by one _did_ throw a wrench into the teams that had already been being set up. _'That was probably for the best, from what Naruto had told me...'_ Hiruzen admitted to himself, fiddling slightly with his pipe as he took it from its holder.

The teams originally set up relied heavily on what the Jounin instructors wanted, but it seemed only Kurenai had any interaction with any of the students at all, and only one which she had practically adopted as her own due to the problems with the Hyuuga family. Despite that...

It seemed his own son, Asuma, wanted the Ino-Shika-Cho combination, Kurenai wanted a form of scouting and tracking team, and Kakashi just wanted Sasuke. Considering the skills of the up-coming Genin, it left Kakashi with Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, while Kurenai had Hinata, Kiba, and Shino.

This, after reading through their files, created some problems for the Hokage. Issues that he would discuss with them...

"Hokage-Sama, Jounin Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Anko have arrived."

About now.

Hiruzen smiled warmly at his secretary, who was peeking through his door into the office, nodding his head slightly. "Thank you. Send them in." The four Jounin entered quickly into the room after that, each taking a specific spot.

Kurenai stood in front of his desk, greeting him with a quick "Hokage-Sama." which he acknowledged with a nod. Asuma said nothing, but gave him a slight wave as he leaned against the wall near the large window. Kakashi merely pulled his usual orange book out and leaned against the wall beside the door.

Anko, however, was far more unique as she slammed her hands on Sarutobi's desk, though the man only smiled as a few of his pens bounced on the wood.

"Damn it, Old man! I told you I'm not training any more damn kids!" The purple haired Jounin was known for her tongue and seemingly her lack of respect, but to the Hokage himself, it was like a breath of fresh air.

Only Anko and Naruto treated him casually anymore. Even his own child seemed to treat him differently after he put the hat on.

Chuckling, the man smiled at the woman in a calming manner. "Do not worry, Anko. You _will_ be training some of the Genin, but I have a feeling you'll like who I have in mind." Anko clicked her tongue in annoyance, standing up straight with a skeptical look about her.

"I doubt it. No Genin has impressed me for a long time, even Ten-Chan was a bit..." She waved her hand slightly.

"Oh?" Hiruzen smiled knowingly, leaning back in his chair. "Not even the one that sneaked through the ANBU base and colored all of their cloaks? The one that Ibiki yelled at you for?" Everyone looked up at this as Hiruzen's smile widened at the amused look Kurenai and Asuma were giving her. Even Kakashi looked a tad amused, though it was difficult to tell with that mask on his face.

Anko, however, was twitching and cracking her knuckles slowly. "Ohhh? It was a Genin, huh? Ibiki really rode my ass on that one..." A feral grin began to spread across her face as her eyes flashed dangerously, causing Asuma to sweat-drop slightly while Kurenai simply rolled her eyes, used to her friend's attitude. "And you're saying I get to train that one?"

Hiruzen shrugged slightly. "It's a possibility. Oh, but I do recall she referred to you as..." He paused, rubbing his chin slowly for dramatic effect. "I believe she said she distracted the secretary before she went in."

"A secretary?!" Anko snapped out, her eye twitching as she heard Asuma chuckle slightly. The man instantly went silent as a kunai buried itself beside his head, though he knew it was coming, and the purple haired woman clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I'm going to train that chick into the ground. Calling me a damn secretary..."

"Well, you were one at the time." Kurenai pointed out, smiling slightly as Anko's glare turned on her.

"Shush it, or I'll punish you too!"

"Maa... Hokage-Sama." All eyes turned to Kakashi as he stood up, still looking down at his book, even as he spoke. "I'm assuming that means you plan on having Naruto on Anko's team..." Hiruzen nodded slightly. "Does that mean she'll be with civilians?"

Kakashi knew that the Hokage would not give him _just_ Sasuke as he wanted, since it wouldn't teach him the value of teamwork, so he knew he'd have two other important Genin to work with. The council wouldn't let the Uchiha be paired up with just civilians, after all. But Naruto? They'd jump at the chance to cripple the girl in anyway.

The problem was that Kurenai, Asuma, and Kakashi were all chosen to train the Clan Genin. There were only 7, but included Naruto as her status as an Uzumaki along with having the Kyuubi inside her, and it included Sakura because of her mother's high status in merchandise.

Sakura's father had also been a powerful Ninja, a rather famous Jounin, but had been far too wounded during the Kyuubi attack. Those two things together put her higher on the list than most civilians.

Surprisingly, Hiruzen shook his head, smiling. "I'm afraid not, Kakashi-Kun. Let me explain..." The Professor turned his gaze over to Kurenai and Anko, regarding the both for a moment. "Anko, Kurenai... You two will be training a team together."

"Together!?" Anko shouted, visibly startled and her surprised expression was mirrored on Kurenai's face. "What for? I mean... Kurenai and I are friends, but..." The word 'friends' was said a bit quietly, as Anko, much like Naruto herself, was treated like a monster due to her training under the Missing Nin known as Orochimaru.

She wasn't quite used to having friends, but the two had grown close after several missions together, after Kurenai was left alone from her team graduating. It definitely kept Anko's mind off the verbal and price abuse she was often given from almost everywhere but her favorite dango shop.

But that was neither here nor there. "I was getting to that." The Hokage sighed a bit, intertwining his fingers together with his elbows on his desk. "Kurenai, you are a relatively new Jounin. You have plenty of missions under your belt, but no high ranking ones. You've worked more in a group than Anko has, however."

He cleared his throat slightly, looking at Anko with a slight smile. "Anko, you have more experience than Kurenai in regards to missions, but you have refused to have a Genin team in the past, excluding Tenten. You're also a Tokubetsu Jounin, so you aren't officially allowed to have a team on your own."

Anko nodded slightly, having trained Tenten from Team 9, under Maito Gai, while the other Jounin had to go off on a mission, leaving his students to their own devices. Tokubetsu were also not allowed to have more than one student, unless they themselves were under the orders of a fully fledged Jounin.

Hiruzen smiled slightly, remembering how the brown haired girl had stuck to her green-clad Sensei like glue after he returned, but quickly shook the memories away.

Clearing his throat slightly, he continued. "Also, unlike Kakashi and Asuma, you both are a bit specialized in certain areas. Coincidentally, the areas you specialize in compliment each other and I wish to make a well balanced team. A team that has good talent in Genjutsu." He nodded at Kurenai, "And a talent in Taijutsu." He nodded at Anko, smiling a bit.

The two women shared a glance, both of them wearing slight frowns on their faces as they considered the Hokage's words. Anko was known as the 'Snake Mistress' and had a lot of Taijutsu techniques, mixed with her knowledge of poisons, animals, and several types of Ninjutsu.

Kurenai, on the other hand, was heavily specialized in Genjutsu and known for her talent in it, often called the 'Genjutsu Mistress' by he peers. She still had decent Taijutsu and knew several Ninjutsu, but not nearly the same amount as Anko. Mix the two together, and you almost had the ideal Ninja right there.

The two were also good friends, so they understood each other enough to know what the other was thinking. They went out quite a few missions together as well, while Kurenai was preparing for her Jounin exam. Because of this, they knew each others abilities and limitations, so there was logic behind them training a team together, but...

"With all due respect, Hokage-Sama..." Kurenai began, turning her gaze away from her friend. "I did request a scouting and tracking team and I am not certain..." The red-eyed woman paused as her leader held up his hand, shaking his head slightly.

"I'm afraid I can't abide by any request that was made for a team." As they stared at him in confusion, Hiruzen intertwined his fingers once more. "Kurenai, you will still be teaching Hinata, regardless of the rest. She needs your support." The woman nodded slightly, staring curiously at him. "Sasuke will still go to Kakashi since he is the only man that can teach Sasuke how to use the Sharingan, should it awaken."

Kakashi nodded, frowning slightly under his mask at the _"should"_ part. There was always a chance, a low one, that Sasuke could never develop his Sharingan. He was sure that would drive the boy crazy. Not to mention the council was come down on Kakashi's ass faster than you could say 'Uchiha.'

"However..." Sarutobi continued, silently wishing he had lit his pipe before they arrived. "I can't abide by the others, due to information given to me about their personalities." He cleared his throat once, preparing himself to repeat what Naruto had told him.

"According to my information, Sakura and Ino are both infatuated with the Uchiha. This could terribly cripple them and would best be avoided. The Uchiha himself cares nothing for them or anyone else... He definitely lacks any form of team work, yet he gets along with Kiba Inuzuka to some degree."

"In contrast to that, Naruto _hates_ Sasuke and would sooner quit than be on his team, I imagine. She also seems to have strong desire to have her friends, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata, train to get stronger together, but she has a strong relationship with almost all of the non-civilian Genin, excluding Sasuke."

He coughed once, leaning forward onto his desk as he stared right at his son, Asuma. "The Ino-Shika-Cho combination... is also not allowed to happen. Ino is a strong woman, much more aggressive than her father was, and would hate to deal with not only Shikamaru's attitude, but your own, Asuma."

"Me?" The young man blinked, pointing at himself.

"Indeed. You are a bit lazy when it comes to training, and would just play shogi with Shikamaru until Ino screamed at you to assist her in training. Chouji would just follow along at his own pace and would not get too interested in training outside his clan." Hiruzen explained, staring at his son who blushed slightly as he scratched his cheek.

That had, after all, been his plan. Of course his father would see right through him.

"So, in all, I have only one set of the teams I could think of that would work..." With that, he pulled out a sheet of paper and slid it across his desk towards the Jounin.

They all looked down at it once, with Kakashi being the first to speak. "Hmm... I don't disagree with my team."

"I suppose it can work..." Asuma muttered to himself, pouting slightly, though only Hiruzen really recognized it.

Kurenai and Anko shared a look, and both of them shrugged slightly as they stood up. "No problems here, I guess." Anko sighed a bit, shaking her head. "But really, me? A real Sensei? Are you..?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Hiruzen affirmed with a smile, leaning back in his chair. "In fact, I think Naruto could help you out a bit with your... problem." Anko frowned a bit as Hiruzen's smile grew. "She owns an apartment complex, completely under her name with no one currently living there but herself."

Anko's eyes widened at that and she grinned a bit, rubbing her chin. "Oh really? Maybe I won't be _too_ hard on her then... until she signs the deal." Anko had, rather recently, left her apartment to live in the forest after her land lord had constantly demanded an increased rent.

Hiruzen chuckled softly, nodding. "Perhaps that's for the best. You all will meet your team in two days... Dismissed!"

With a small salute, or a nod in Kakashi's case, the Jounin left.

 _ **The Present, at the Academy**_

* * *

"Team 6 will be Shizuka Ami, Miou Kasumi, and Fuki under Shiranui Genma." Iruka stated, smiling as he saw the three civilian girls smile at each other. He flipped the page on his clipboard, reaching the last few teams needing to be announced.

"Team 7 will be Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, and Inuzuka Kiba under Hatake Kakashi." Shikamaru groaned slightly, muttering 'troublesome' while Kiba and Sasuke simply glared at each other.

"I'm not going to work under you, you know." Kiba stated, earning a slight smirk from Sasuke.

"Work under me? I'm just worried about having to watch my step on the training field..." The two glared harder at each other with Akamaru looked nervously between them from his position on Kiba's head. Shikamaru merely rolled his eyes, putting his own head down.

Iruka smiled a bit at their words and continued, "Team 8 will be … Hm..." He paused, staring at the clipboard curiously for a moment. "Well... Team 8 will be Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata..." A shout of 'Yes!' followed by someone falling to the floor was heard, but Iruka pointedly ignored it. "And Yamanaka Ino under Yuhi Kurenai."

The platinum blonde pumped her fists up in the air, grinning. While Ino _was_ disappointed she wasn't with Sasuke, there was definitely a large part of herself that was just glad she wasn't put with Shikamaru and Chouji. Her father had been bragging about the 'Ino-Shika-Cho' combination way too much after she had graduated.

"Congrats, you girls." Sakura said with a smile, giggling slightly as she saw Naruto holding a fainted Hinata in her arms.

"Hinata!? Wake up! Speak to me! It's too early for you to go now!" The blonde cried out dramatically, much to the amusement of Ino and Sakura, but to the annoyance of most of the remaining class.

Hinata, to her credit, caught onto the scene as soon as she woke and only let her eyes crack open slowly. "Naruto-... Chan... I..." Slowly, the lavender eyed girl reached up, placing her hand on Naruto's cheek. "I... "

"Yes? What is it, Hinata-Chan?" Naruto questioned, sniffing slightly as she leaned in closer, which caused Hinata's face to turn a light shade of red. She forced it down, however, as she often did.

"I..." She gulped and her eyes slowly began to close again. This was it, wasn't it? A chance to say how happy she was to be on Naruto's team, and Ino's of course, and how she had dreaded the idea of being separated from her friends... But as she stared into those bright blue orbs, she could only say one thing...

"I... think I left the oven on..."

And with that, her hand fell limply to the side and her eyes closed as Naruto blinked slowly, ignoring the laughter behind her from her other friends. Her face was blank as she regarded what exactly Hinata had said, while Hinata herself was growing a larger shade of red by the second, despite her "dead" state.

"Eh?"

A loud cough was heard and Naruto looked up to see Iruka staring at her with an amused look on his face. "I'd like to finish before you two fall off into your comedy routine. And Hinata?" The girl jumped slightly in Naruto's arms, breaking character a bit. "I think you'll find most ovens will turn off automatically after awhile, after their chakra source leaves, so you have nothing to worry about." The Chunin teased, smiling as Hinata slowly sat up with her cheeks puffed up slightly as she pouted.

"H.. Hai, Sensei..." She muttered, straightening up her in chair again as she stared down at her lap, trying to fight down the embarrassment inside her. The laughter from Ino and Sakura did not help, nor did the amused stares of everyone else in the room.

Naruto was just staring at Hinata with a wide stare, not seeming to know how to react, but Hinata was what you would call a 'professional Naruto reader.' Even though the blonde had almost no expression on her face, Hinata knew what the girl was doing.

She was trying _very_ hard not to laugh.

Iruka chuckled softly, clearing his throat soon after. "Anyways... Team 9 is still running a Genin team, so Team 10 will be Aburame Shino, Akimichi Chouji, and Haruno Sakura under Sarutobi Asuma." Chouji and Shino shared a look and Sakura smiled a bit weakly to herself, forcing down the last bit of laughter inside her.

The three had never really spoken to each other, and Sakura was slightly put off by the way Chouji ate and the way bugs seemed to crawl around Shino... But on the other hand, it wasn't like she hated bugs and Chouji did eat rather neatly when he was at the table. As long as they kept their habits to themselves, the pinkette figured she could survive.

 _'At least I wasn't put on Kiba's team.'_ Sakura thought to herself, giving the boy a distasteful glance as he glared at Sasuke. _**'But that means we weren't put on Sasuke-Kun's team either, CHA!'**_ That was true, but Sakura pushed down the disappointment in her gut. Ino wasn't on Sasuke's team either, so there was still a chance that she could win the Uchiha's heart.

Unless Shikamaru was secretly a girl, but what were the odds of that?

Iruka, not knowing any of his students thoughts, simply smiled up at them. "Your instructors will be here soon, but you probably have about thirty minutes if you have anything to do. Otherwise, just wait here to pick you up. I hope to see you all in the mission hall as proud Ninja of Konoha!"

And with that, the man walked out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving the children to their own devices.

The sound of the door closing also seemed to snap Naruto out of her stupor, and the girl was suddenly jumping out of her chair and running up to where Chouji and Shino sat, which was on the bottom row beside Shikamaru, who still had his head down.

Naruto suddenly grabbed Chouji's hands, startling the boy as he was just about to reach down to grab another bag of chips from his stash at his feet. "Chouji! I have a mission for you. You must accept it if you value your Akimichi pride!" Naruto announced, staring at Chouji with a strange intensity in her eyes as the large boy squirmed slightly.

"Er... A mission?" Naruto nodded sharply, looking over at Shikamaru as he groaned, lifting his head.

"Naruto... what are you bothering Chouji for?" The lazy boy questioned, his eyes half open as if he had just woken up...

Which he probably had.

Naruto wasn't affected by his lazy stare and simply smiled, letting go of Chouji's hands and leaning back. "A mission! From one friend to another! Chouji!" She pointed at him. "You... must keep Sakura eating well!"

Silence filled the room as Naruto continued to point at Chouji's slightly stunned face, until the pink-haired girl in question was suddenly beside Naruto, glaring at her with her face as pink as her hair. "N.. Naruto!? What do you think you're doing!?"

The blonde just turned towards her friend with her cheeks puffed up slightly and her hands on her hips. "I can handle Ino now, especially with Hinata-Chan, but you won't have us making sure you're eating right! Chouji knows all about food, so you're under his care!" Her cheeks remained puffed up as she spoke, and Sakura could feel her eye twitching with each bit of air that escaped Naruto's mouth.

"Naruto, I eat how I want to eat! Besides, you shouldn't bother Chouji-San with something like..."

"We'll do it." Both girls blinked, turning towards the owner of the voice who stood beside them in his high-collar coat. Shino simply pushed his glasses up as they stared at him, a small bug crawling across his fingers, which neither girl so much as flinched at. They were used to it, after all. "Why did I say we? Because I am also Sakura-San's teammate and Chouji's friend."

Chouji smiled slightly at Shino's words. While Chouji was not as close to the Aburame as he was to Shikamaru, the two still shared quite a few quiet moments together and often spoke of different herbs that the Aburame insects took care of.

Naruto smiled brightly, placing her hand on Shino's shoulder, which caused the boy to flinch slightly, and gave him a thumbs up with her free hand.. "Thanks, Shino! I knew I could count on you. Make sure Chouji doesn't relent, no matter how much Sakura complains." The boy nodded his consent, slowly putting his own hand up into a thumbs up.

"That was my plan."

Sakura groaned, palming her face with both hands. "I'm surrounded by slave drivers."

Naruto laughed, opening her mouth to respond when the door suddenly opened up, revealing the tall form of Kurenai, who stood there in her white bandage-like outfit with her red eyes staring at the group.

After a brief moment, her eyes locked with Hinata's and the two smiled at each other before Kurenai's face fell into a more serious expression. "Hyuuga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino, and Uzumaki Naruto, come with me."

Ino and Hinata quickly got to their feet, walking towards the door while Naruto walked a few steps before turning back to Shino, Chouji, and Sakura. "Remember you two! No matter how much she complains, make sure she eats well! Get the Sensei in on it too." The two boys gave her thumbs up again, prompting Sakura to groan loudly.

* * *

 _ **AN: Chapter end! A bit action-less, but a needed set up for things to come, ne?**_

 _ **More importantly, what do you guys think about the teams? Personally, I had first intended on Shikamaru being on Naruto's team... but decided the Naruto/Hinata/Shikamaru set up was too overused for Kurenai, and shot for this instead.**_

 _ **You may notice some comparisons with other stories in this chapter, which did influence my choices a bit... But at the same time it didn't, because all of these teams were mostly planned a long time ago when I started writing this randomly. The only exception was Shikamaru, but all further plot points have been changed to accommodate the shift.**_

 _ **Please review~ I want to know everyone's thoughts on what is to come.. and then cackle because everything for the next few chapters is already written out!**_

 _ **Next chapter: The Test!**_


	8. A single step forward

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

* * *

Naruto grinned and hopped slightly as she ran to the door, quickly closing it behind her and following the back of Ino and Hinata as they walked behind Kurenai. She smiled further as she fell in step with the other two, and began to open her mouth to speak when she paused... mid step, as warning signals went off in her head.

 _'Something isn't right.'_ Naruto thought to herself, letting the other three walk in front of her as she stared at them from behind. She narrowed her eyes slightly, staring pointedly at the girl's legs as they walked away from her.

Kurenai she didn't know, so she wasn't sure how the woman walked, but Naruto could see she took long meaningful strides, putting her legs out to go the maximum amount of distance without much effort.

Hinata always had a elegant, yet fast type of movement. But Naruto knew the girl found the movements restrictive and hard to maintain, causing her to often fall into a more casual way of walking whenever they weren't near her clan.

The Hinata in front of her now, however, seemed to be walking in that 'restrictive' way as if it didn't bother her at all.

Despite that difference, which Naruto could simply chalk off to Hinata thinking a clan member could be watching. It was Ino that really got Naruto's attention.

The girl always walked with an air of 'Yeah, I'm here. What about it?' and always held her head high when she could. But this Ino... was simply walking. A standard one foot in front of the other walk. Her shoulders were even drooping slightly. Naruto was sure the girl wasn't _that_ upset with being on their team.

 _'Which means that isn't Ino, or...'_ There was only one explanation Naruto could think of that would cause such a change in her friend's walking styles so drastically and she groaned as she put her hands together in the 'Ram' seal. _'This is a Genjutsu!'_ "Kai!" She yelled out, sending out waves of her chakra as she was taught.

In an instant, the girl found herself in a completely different area, blinking owlishly as she felt an arm around her waist as she was held sideways with her back against the side of whoever was holding her.

Reacting out of instinct, the girl pushed herself out of her holder's arm and rolled across the ground, pulling a kunai out of her pouch and pointing at the one who had held her as she rose to one knee, with her eyes quickly scanning the area.

She seemed to be in a large field of some sort with various trees surrounding it. There were signs of battle, such as burn marks across the grass, along with a few cut marks Naruto could barely make out on the closest trees, which were actually pretty far away as the field was very large. Could probably fit twenty copies of her house in it.

The most notable thing in the field, however, was right in front of her.

In front of her was a purple haired woman with light brown eyes, wearing a long tan trench coat and a brown skirt with fishnet covering a majority of the rest of her body, starting from her neck down to her knees and left little to the imagination. Metal shin guards covered her legs, while dark blue sandals covered her feet, and she wore her Konoha Hiatai-ate on her head, though it almost did nothing to keep her bangs out of her eyes.

She seemed surprised that Naruto had pulled such a sudden maneuver, staring at Naruto with a expression that said as much, but the woman recovered and began to whistle lowly as she grinned. "Well, well... Broke out already? Looks like you're slipping, Nainai. I didn't even have time to tie her up." The woman noted, grinning a bit further as she saw the fierce expression on Naruto's face.

"Don't call me that." Naruto's eyes glanced over at the owner of the second voice, and her eyes widened at the sight of her Sensei, Yuhi Kurenai, standing slightly behind the purple haired woman with three large logs, at least twice as tall as Naruto herself and twice as wide, being behind Kurenai.

But attached to those logs was the forms of Ino and Hinata, both of them seeming fast asleep with thick ropes tied around their bodies, keeping them secured to the posts. Naruto glared a bit at the two women, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "What are you doing to my friends?"

The two just stared at her and the purple haired woman let out a soft chuckle. "Wouldn't you like to know~? Maybe we're going to torture them until..." Her head suddenly shot to the side as a kunai flew past her, imbedding itself uselessly in the third post behind her which had no one on it.

Her brown eyes slowly narrowed at the blonde who had her arm out stretched from throwing the kunai. "That's dangerous, brat."

"Name of the game." Naruto retorted, pointing at the woman with her out stretched hand. "Now explain what you're doing to my friends and _maybe_ I won't kick your ass from here to Jiji's desk. Maybe I won't even leave it attached, that way he won't have to deal with your _face_ when I get done with it." Naruto grinned cockily at them, despite the nervousness running in her stomach, but she was careful not to show it on her face.

Anko's eye twitched slightly while Kurenai chuckled softly, shaking her head as she crossed her arms under her chest. "It's like dealing with a short, blonde you, Anko."

"I'm not short!" Naruto shouted, followed quickly by "I'm not a brat!" from Anko. The two quickly glared at each other, pointing at each other at the same time. "Shut up! I'm nothing like you. Stop that! I swear to god! I will..." Kurenai couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth quickly with one hand as the two shouted at each other in unison.

Anko was the first to break the chain, a feral grin spreading across her face while her hand pulled two kunai out from the inside of her coat. "Fine, brat. You want to dance? Let's dance!" The woman suddenly charged at Naruto who jumped back quickly, forming a seal while Kurenai's eyes widened.

"Anko, wait! You're not supposed to..!"

Her words were lost as Naruto shouted, " _ **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**_ " and both women were briefly taken back as more than fifty Narutos suddenly filled the field in front of them, while Anko paused where Naruto had been a moment before.

"Oho?" Anko grinned, licking one of her kunai slowly as she stared at the large group. " _ **Kage Bunshin**_ , huh? Can't say I've seen this many before." It was true, too. Most Ninja could barely handle two, even if they were Jounin rank. Anko herself could handle three to five before passing out, but this kid... This _Genin_ had overshadowed almost every Ninja that had used the technique before, almost in an instant.

But the most surprising part was what came next.

Naruto, the real one, held her hand up and snapped her fingers three times in the air, earning a confused look from the two Jounin in front of her as the clones began to spread out, starting to form a single line behind the original Naruto until all fifty were standing across the field. The field was still rather large, so they weren't reaching from tree line to tree line, but it was close.

Anko whistled softly, standing up straight with her hands on her hips. "So what's this? You going to start marching at us?"

Naruto smirked, shaking her head. "No, I'm giving a weather forecast." The Snake mistress tilted her head, but her eyes widened as she saw the clones beginning to reach into their kunai pouches. The woman's mouth slowly dropped as each one pulled out a single kunai, and a large grin began to spread across Naruto's face. "It's gonna rain."

As if on queue, and it probably was, the clones pulled their arms back and then threw their kunai upward in an arc towards the two women. None of them were thrown far enough to reach, however, and Anko rolled her eyes slightly, watching the kunai reach the top of their arc and begin to fall down. "Geez, kid, you had me worried for a second, I mean..."

" _ **Kage Kunai no Jutsu!**_ " Naruto interrupted in stereo, as each clone called out the Jutsu's name at once.

Anko and Kurenai's eyes both widened considerably as the kunai in the air split into twos, then threes, until finally it seemed like a thousand kunai were threatening to rain down on top of them, briefly blocking out their view of the sun above. "Oh fuck!" Anko shouted out, her hands flashing through seals faster than Naruto could even blink.

" _ **Doton: Doryuheki Domu!**_ " Anko cried out, slamming her hands onto the ground and causing the earth below to form a very large wall that curved upwards and went around, forming a literal dome of stone around the two Jounin.

"Anko! What about the girls? They're in range too!" Kurenai cried out from the darkness of the dome, nervousness obvious in her voice. She had _just_ become a Jounin instructor, damn it! She couldn't let two of her students die like that, especially Hinata who she cared for like a daughter.

"Damn it, Kurenai! I can't make one _that_ big! It'll be that brat's fault if they die." Anko retorted, keeping her hands on the ground in order to strengthen the dome as she awaited the sound of metal to hit it.

Surprisingly, however, nothing like that came even after ten seconds of waiting. Frowning, Anko allowed the dome to raise up in the back and she turned her head to look at the three posts where the two girls had been tied up.

She wasn't sure if she was surprised to see nothing there but cut ropes, but she was _definitely_ sure she was annoyed by it. "Oh god damn it." Anko spat out, lowering the dome completely as Kurenai stared blankly at the posts where she had left Ino and Hinata.

As Anko lowered the dome, she groaned slightly as she saw that there was not a _single_ kunai in the ground, despite the amount of them that had practically blanked out the sky. "God damn it." She cursed, pinching her nose slightly with her eyes closed. "We just got completely played by a fucking Genin. A Genin!"

Kurenai nodded slightly behind her, still staring at the posts. "Indeed... I wasn't aware she had those techniques, and... to have tricked us like that just so she could run away with her teammates. That's really..." A sudden cough interrupted the red-eyed Genjutsu mistress and the two Jounin blinked in confusion, looking towards the source.

It was Naruto, a single one, staring at them from where the original had been from the start with her arms crossed. She was sitting cross legged in the grass with one eyebrow arched, fiddling slightly with the goggles around her neck with one of her hands.

Seeing she caught their attention, the blonde Jinchuuriki grinned as she stood up, slowly cracking her knuckles as she did. "Who ran with who, now? I can't forgive you for messing with my friends like that. They're safe now, so..." She grinned, holding out one hand and making a 'Come on' gesture.

"Bring it, bitches."

* * *

 _ **AN: Chapter end! You're probably going "Wow, that long of a wait and we only get this much? What a rip!" And... you'd be right. I am sorry I took so long, but I got distracted, got busy with other stuff, and I actually spent time writing**_ **other** ** _stories. Stories related to Naruto and not so much. You'd be surprised how many stories I have sitting at 15 or 50 pages that may never see the light of day. Been wondering if I should put up a thing that lists all my unfinished stories..._**

" _ **Tales of" is around 200 now in the main file, and that's my highest point yet I think. But the main reason I have been putting off updating lately is because...**_

 _ **Well, I'm very lazy.**_

 _ **That being said, I do appreciate all the reviews and the people that enjoy my story. I hope to get back into writing soon to meet my "milestone" marks, which is why this one is so short. The current state of the story hasn't been moving in the past month or so since I last updated. Right now I'm sitting at a "wall" again, a place I don't want to write but it's necessary for the story...**_

 _ **That being said, I'm putting this milestone aside for this chapter because it's so short, so expect the exciting chapter to come back soon! Possibly in a day or two. So make some popcorn and rev up those reviews, because I need inspiration to get the writing done!**_

 _ **Also it makes me feel nice, y'know? Anyways! Next chapter should be up later and be much longer than this one. For those curious, this chapter is only about 5 pages, counting AN messages, and the next chapter will be 14, not counting editing and AN messages!**_

 _ **Be sure to point out any flaws in this chapter or previous ones when you review, by the by! It gives me something to look out for in the chapters that come after this. Anyways! Look out for the next chapter. I'll try to get it done soon.**_


	9. Quality Time Together

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

 _ **AN: Hey guys! One thing before we begin this chapter: I was told in a review in the last one that the name for the "Kage Kunai Jutsu" should be "Kage Kunai Bunshin" because the Kage Kunai is the thing used against Zabuza in canon.**_

 _ **You'd be completely right on that, but writing out "Kage Kunai Bunshin" felt... redundant, so I shortened it to "Kage Kunai." Most of the time, it does work a little like the 'real' Kage Kunai technique, which isn't even a Jutsu, since the Bunshin all swarm around the original Kunai, including in its shadow...**_

 _ **But that's not important.**_

 _ **Thank you for pointing out my flaw, because I think I did it on accident to be honest, but... I'll keep using Kage Kunai unless it annoys a lot of people. I think the real way to say it would just be "Kage Bunshin: Kunai!" anyways, but I prefer Kage Kunai.**_

 _ **Anywho, sorry for the long message! Onward with the chapter!**_

* * *

Naruto was what you would call someone with a natural poker face. Someone who could change their expression to exactly what they wanted it to, no matter how they felt on the inside. It's what kept part of her sanity after years of dealing with the hatred of the villagers. Their glares, the way they gave her the bottom of the barrel items, or the way they threw her out of their stores when she just wanted to buy a piece of candy...

It was all okay as long as she could keep smiling.

 _This_ , however, was not something Naruto was used to. The glares were there, that was sure, and she was even used to a small bit of killing intent to be directed her way, usually from slightly drunk men.

But nothing she had experienced before could really prepare her for the way the two women in front of her glared at her. Their killing intent was much thicker and more experienced than the civilians the Jinchuuriki had dealt with before. If she had to compare it to something...

It was like she was staring down two massive snakes, when she was used to having a glaring contest with a temperamental cat. A temperamental cat that only had one claw, while these snakes had a full mouth of sharp, poisonous fangs.

To her credit, Naruto did keep her grin on her face as she held her hand out still, but she was unable to keep the nervous twitch off her face or stop the bead of sweat going down her cheek as the two Jounin glared at her.

Anko was the first to speak, a grin across her face that sent warning signals off in Naruto's mind as the Snake Mistress took a step forward. "What... was that, brat?" The tall woman cracked her knuckles loudly, her grin growing in size as she saw Naruto gulp nervously.

"I said... I said bring it." The blonde moved her fingers again, making another 'come on' gesture even as her feet slid herself back slightly.

Anko paused, turning her head slightly to look back at her black haired friend. "Kurenai, I'm taking this one. I might... hurt her a little." The Genjutsu Mistress sighed in response, nodding her head.

"Just be careful. I'll go look for the other girls." The Jounin sighed, running her hand through her hair slightly as she looked away, starting to head past the three wooden posts towards the tree line.

She was sure Anko could handle anything Naruto could do to her, but she was worried the blonde would end up broken if she just let Anko go crazy. _'Not to mention this isn't how it was supposed to turn out... It was supposed to be about teamwork, not this craziness.'_

The rumors of this child were not lying when they said Naruto was almost unpredictable.

Anko smiled as she jumped forward, a kunai in each hand, as she sped up towards the awaiting blonde. "Here I come brat! No pausing this time!"

"Wouldn't have it any other way!" Naruto retorted, ducking under one of the kunai slashes and tilting her head back to dodge the second. She kicked back to gain some distance, but her blue eyes widened as Anko closed it instantly, their faces inches apart.

Anko's fist slammed into Naruto's stomach, hitting her with the ring on the bottom of the kunai as her right hand was still angled from her previous slash. This sent the Jinchuuriki flying back even further, coughing up saliva as she slid across the ground.

True to her word, Anko didn't pause at all, giving Naruto little time to recover as she closed the distance again, slashing upwards towards the blonde which was quickly dodged by taking a step back. Anko's hand, however, kept traveling and Naruto's eyes flashed as she saw the opening and moved herself in to strike...

When Anko's _other_ kunai flew towards the side of her face and she hastily brought her own up to knock it away. This gave the Jounin enough time to recover and bring the first kunai down towards Naruto's head, causing Naruto to jump back again in order to dodge the strike and break free from the encounter.

The blonde panted slightly, not from exhaustion, but from how close she had came to death, or at least serious wounds, several times. _'This woman... is the real deal. A real Jounin. She's holding back too.'_ The girl thought to herself as Anko grinned at her, spinning the kunai on her left around her finger. _'I don't think I can beat her, but I can keep her busy.'_

"You done, Naru-Chan~?" Naruto's face fell slightly at the childish name, but shook her head and gripped her kunai tighter in response. "No? Then here I come..!" Anko spun her kunai around once, holding it backwards now, and kicked forward towards the awaiting blonde.

Steel met steel, and battle was joined once more.

* * *

Kurenai frowned to herself as she stood at the tree line, looking around slowly for any sign of the girls. The Genjutsu Mistress did not actually see them go this way, but she had seen signs of where someone had ran away.

Freshly bent grass in a slight trail. Two trails, actually, both going in the same direction and starting from the posts. The strange part was that the trails _started_ at the posts, which meant the clones Naruto had sent to get the girls had some how simply appeared there.

It was these types of observations that made Kurenai's Genjutsu so powerful, because of how she was able to paint a perfect picture for her target, lulling them into thinking that nothing had happened at all. Which made it rather surprising that Naruto, someone who most teachers at the academy passed off as the 'Class clown', had not only been the first Genin to break out of the Genjutsu, but the _only._

Though she suspected the other two would have broken out in due time. Hinata, after all, knew of her status and would probably figure out she was in a Genjutsu after a few casual comments on her part... Unlike Naruto, who seemed to figure it out on instinct alone.

The red eyed Jounin shook her head, crossing her arms under her chest again. _'I'll have to ask how she did it later, but first...'_ She looked slowly across the tree line, a slight smile on her face as she heard the rustle of leaves. "I know you're there, girls. You can come out."

There was a brief pause, but Kurenai smiled as she saw Hinata and Ino walk out beside each other from behind two separate trees, with Ino sporting a slight pout and Hinata a small smile. "H.. Hello Kurenai-Sensei..." Hinata greeted, bowing slightly as the two reached the tree line in front of Kurenai.

Kurenai returned the bow, smiling at her 'daughter.' "Hello Hinata. I'm hoping you know what this is all about now?" Hinata nodded slightly, poking her fingers together a bit.

"Yes... It's.. It's a test, to see if we're ready to be Genin..."

Kurenai nodded, her smile growing. "Yes, and so far, only Naruto has passed... with flying colors. Anko is just testing her right now." The woman chuckled at their surprised expressions.

"What do you mean Goldie-Chan passed with flying colors? I thought it was a team exercise!" That was Ino, pointing dramatically at Kurenai who smiled knowingly, though inwardly the woman wondered if the Yamanaka was always that loud.

"Indeed, it is. But Naruto didn't know that... although I believe she suspected it." The woman rubbed her chin slightly. "At the very least, I think she knows Anko and I are not her enemies, but none of that mattered when you two were in danger."

The Jounin chuckled to herself as the two blushed slightly, looking over at the distant forms of Anko and Naruto fighting. "But that raises the question, doesn't it?" Kurenai took a step towards them, and both of them stepped back towards the trees. "Why... did you come back? You had plenty of time to escape."

The two Genin-to-be looked at each other before facing Kurenai, causing the woman to smile at the determination in their eyes. "As if we could ever..." Ino started, reaching for her kunai pouch.

"... abandon Naruto-Chan to save ourselves..." Hinata finished, sliding into her _Juken_ stance, a standard and traditional stance for the Hyuuga family.

Kurenai smiled, nodding her head. "A good response..." Slowly, the Genjutsu Mistress began to walk backwards into the field. "But I hope you're prepared for the consequences." Kurenai smiled as the two stiffened from her warning. "I won't let you go to her, you'll have to deal with me first."

The two girls looked at each other briefly, and then nodded in unison.

Hinata was the first to step forward, closing the distance quickly between her and Kurenai with her palms pulled back. She launched three swift attacks with the points of her fingers going towards Kurenai's chest, but the woman weaved back and forth as if she was made of paper to dodge.

However, the attacks did make her step back slightly as Hinata struck forward, then slid her hand through the air sideways, trying to clip the Jounin's hip with her fingers. But the woman easily dodged the attack by taking a step back.

Kurenai was no fool to the capabilities of her student. The Hyuuga were known for making a single touch crippling as it shut off the Tenketsu, or 'Chakra Points', which caused the body part in question to simply stop functioning and caused chakra itself to be unable to pass through that specific point.

A strike to the heart could even kill the one on the receiving end of it, but otherwise the technique only temporarily crippled someone. Kurenai didn't think Hinata would even try to go for the point on her heart, but..

 _'She's only aiming for my chest, though not quite where that point is. Does she have a plan?'_ The woman hummed as she dodged another few strikes, deciding to not attack back just yet.

It was after another set of strikes forced her to take a step back that alarms started to go off in her head as her eyes shot up. _'Wait, where is...?'_ Quickly, the woman scanned the area, looking for her last student that was currently not fighting.

She was no where to be seen, but her position was revealed as large blue line of chakra shot towards Kurenai from the trees, threatening to strike her right on the head. Kurenai smiled as it approached, recognizing the _**Shintenshin no Jutsu**_ that allowed a Yamanaka to take control of the target it hits.

The problem, however, was that the Jutsu was rather slow and easy to see. There was also a delay before the Jutsu could be used again, as the user had to wait for their mind to return to them.

In an instant, Kurenai was behind Hinata, causing the girl to flinch as the chakra from Ino's Jutsu flew right past her face. "Not a bad strategy, you two. Pushing me back in one direction so Ino could line up her shot. However..." She smiled as Hinata turned towards her. "You were too slow, and I know the Jutsu takes awhile to return its mind to the user."

Hinata said nothing and merely struck at Kurenai again, but the Jounin was tired of merely dodging attacks and instead slapped Hinata's wrist upward as it approached. The action threw Hinata completely off balance and allowed Kurenai to land a palm strike on the smaller girl's chest, sending her flying back with a cry of pain.

"Hinata!" Ino cried out, jumping down from the trees and charging at Kurenai's back with a kunai held in her right hand. "I'll take you out myself!"

"Will you now?" The amusement in Kurenai's voice wasn't lost on the platinum blonde, and she simply moved to the side like paper again, dodging the thrust of the kunai Ino sent her way.

Ino was taken by surprise by the movement and put too much force into her attack, causing her to fall forward as it was dodged. Kurenai sighed as she hit the girl's head with her elbow, knocking her flat on her face. "Honestly, that wasn't the best move..." She noted, shaking her head slightly as she looked down at Ino.

The red eyes widened, however, as "Ino" burst into smoke. "W.. What?" She spun around to look back at the trees, only to gasp as a large burst of chakra hit her right in the head as she saw Ino's true form standing at the tree line.

The blonde slowly slumped over as her mind exited her body, as it was now resting inside Kurenai's head. **"Heh, got you, Sensei!"** The young Yamanaka announced inside the Jounin's head, and the woman could _feel_ the smug grin. **"Now, I just have to hold you still so Hinata can beat you up."**

The Hyuuga girl in question was already back on her feet, panting slightly and starting to charge towards the stunned Kurenai... who merely smiled. "I see, I wasn't aware you knew the _**Kage Bunshin**_ as well, Ino."

" **I don't. One of the** _ **Bunshins**_ **that saved me and Hinata stuck around, and I told her to turn into me. Pretty smart, huh~?"** The cocky grin was still full on Ino's mental image and Kurenai let out a soft chuckle as Hinata got closer, her palm moving towards Kurenai's back.

"It was a good plan, but..." The woman suddenly spun, grabbing Hinata's wrist and causing the girl to gasp as her Sensei pulled roughly on her wrist, throwing her balance off completely as Kurenai's other hand slammed into her stomach. This caused the girl to lurch over and cough roughly onto the ground.

The woman was not done with the young Hyuuga and tossed the girl over towards Ino's fallen form, which the girl landed near with a grunt of pain.

" **H.. How? How are you able to move so easily!?"** Ino's mental self questioned, earning another chuckle from Kurenai who spoke aloud despite Ino being inside her head.

"Simple... The _**Shintenshin no Jutsu**_ requires your will to be stronger than mine in order to take control. I'm at full strength and I have much higher chakra reserves than you, so I can resist the technique easily." Explained Kurenai while holding her hand up into the 'Ram' seal. "Kai!"

The woman's chakra flared up and Ino gasped as she was forced out of Kurenai's body, sending her back to her own automatically. The blonde groaned as she sat up, starting to get to her feet while holding Hinata's wrist to help the girl stand up as well. "Sorry, Hinata... I messed up."

"I.. It's fine, Ino-Chan." Hinata panted out as she rose to her feet. "We... We'll get her this time."

Kurenai chuckled softly, shaking her head as she crossed her arms again. "No, that's fine girls. You passed." The two blinked owlishly at her with their heads tilting opposite ways. She smiled a bit at their expressions and waved her hand slightly. "The test was merely to see how well you work together and if you were _willing_ to work together. Not only did you all three come up with a plan on your own, but you all worked together to try and take me down. So... You pass."

Hinata and Ino shared a look at each other before smiles began to spread across their faces. Ino pumped her fist into the air, letting out a shout of "Yeah! We did it!" She grinned with her hands on her hips as Hinata giggled slightly.

"I'm glad..." The girl whispered, smiling towards Kurenai who returned it.

Her smile fell, however, as she looked over her shoulder. "Yes, well... While you three _did_ pass the test and I consider you Genin... We had best stop those two before.." She paused as she saw a large orb of flame near the other end of the clearing and sighed softly. "Before one of them gets hurt..."

The other two nodded in agreement and the three quickly began to run towards the source of the flames.

* * *

 _ **A few moments before...**_

Naruto panted as she dodged strike after strike from the swift Snake Mistress, and even spun once and kicked off to her right as an actual snake shot out of Anko's sleeve. _'What is with that!? Is it some sort of Genjutsu?'_ The Jinchuuriki wasn't keen on testing if it was real or not and continued to keep her distance as sweat went down her cheek, watching the snake slide back into the woman's sleeve.

Anko, however, had none of the nervousness that Naruto had and merely jumped towards the girl again, letting out a series of swift strikes with her two kunai which were either dodged or blocked. The purple haired woman wore a sadistic smirk as she purposely slammed her both kunai roughly into Naruto's own, sending the girl skidding backwards from the power.

On the inside, however, Anko was impressed and growing even more impressed as time went on in their fight. The blonde was _fast_ , though not nearly as fast as Anko herself, and she seemed to have perfect vision, able to follow Anko's attacks even as she subtly increased her speed between them.

The girl also took every opportunity that Anko gave her to attack, but never fell completely for the bait as she always dodged or knocked away the woman's follow up attack. It seemed to be almost impossible to trap her.

Anko licked her lips as the two separated again, staring at Naruto who panted heavily slightly in front of her, holding up the kunai in her right hand defensively, which Anko smiled at. _'She's got good senses... If I was using my real speed, I could beat her easily, but right now...'_

The Jounin had decided to go with low Chunin speed to test Naruto, but had been slowly increasing it as time went on. Surprisingly, the girl had kept up with her every step of the way. Anko smiled, deciding to take it up a notch as she slid her kunai into the pockets of her jacket. "Let's see how you handle this one, Naru-Chan."

The blonde blinked in confusion, lowering her kunai slightly as Anko began to flash through seals quickly. _**"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!**_ " The woman called out, taking a deep breath and then leaning forward with her index finger and thumb forming a 'ring' around her mouth as she let out a stream of flames...

Which quickly began to spread and form a giant fireball that was heading right towards Naruto, who could only gape in shock at the sight.

 _'Move, you idiot! Do you want to be fried!?'_ The voice, once again, jolted her out of her shock and the girl hastily formed a seal as she jumped back. " _ **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**_ " She called out, forming two clones on behind her.

One of the clones gripped the arms of the other two and spun around, tossing them both high into the air, dispelling itself right after as the flames grew closer.

The last clone gripped the real Naruto's arm and spun in the air, tossing her higher and at an arc, right over the fireball. The clone quickly dispelled itself while Naruto formed her seal again, creating another clone beside her which she pushed down in front of her.

Anko, already laughing at the sight of Naruto going _over_ the fireball, could only grin as she saw the girl place the clone underneath herself as she began to fall. _'She's going to use the clone as a cushion? Just one wouldn't really stop the impact.'_

Naruto, however, seemed to have a different idea as the clone flashed through seals, letting out a shout of " _ **Henge!**_ " as it reached the ground. In a puff of smoke, the clone was replaced with a long metal slide that had a ladder on the back leading up to the slide itself, with two sharp looking polls on the bottom of the ladder imbedding themselves in the ground as they pushed against it.

Anko let out a _huff_ , shaking her head slightly. "Brat, the _**Henge**_ doesn't _actually_ turn you into..." She trailed off, her mouth dropping in surprise as she saw Naruto holding onto the top of the slide and then actually _sliding down it_ with her arms in the air.

"Wheeee!" She shouted, smiling as she reached the end and jumped off, flipping once to land right in front of Anko as the flames from Anko's attack died down behind her. "What was that?" The blonde asked with a smug smirk as the transformed clone turned to smoke behind her.

"But... what? How did..." Anko could only gape in surprise, looking back at the smoke as the last bit of it dispersed. There were very few transformation techniques that actually changed someone's physical form. The basic _**Henge**_ was supposedly just an illusion, although there were a few sensory illusions that could make someone _think_ you changed...

But to actually change your form with just the basic _**Henge**_? Practically unheard of.

Naruto didn't seem to know this as she just stared blankly at Anko, her head tilted to the side. "Eh? What's wrong?"

Anko shook her head, sighing at the blonde. "The _**Henge**_ is not supposed to turn you into something. It's supposed to just be an illusion, nothing more. You aren't supposed to be able to touch things like that."

Naruto just blinked at her, slowly rubbing her chin. "Really..? I've always been able to, since I learned it at the academy. I kind of just assumed everyone could..." Then again, she had never actually touched anyone that was doing the technique, as Iruka or whoever was testing it merely needed to see it.

Anko shook her head, about to go on about how there were very few techniques like that when Kurenai, Hinata, and Ino finally reached them with Ino panting slightly behind the two.

Kurenai sighed as she looked back and forth between the two, though she was glad that neither of them seemed to be sporting any form of injury. "I'm glad you two aren't still at each others throats... Are you ready to call it a day for this?"

The two women in question glanced at Kurenai before glaring at each other fiercely. "I dunno, I still need to punish this little brat." Anko stated, cracking her knuckles.

"And I still need to teach this old hag a lesson!" Anko's eye twitched as Naruto cracked her own knuckles, while Kurenai resting her face in her palms.

"Old hag!? I'm barley over twenty, you little brat!" Anko shouted, leaning down slightly. The woman was just about 24 years old and wouldn't let a little girl half her age call her an old hag.

"And I'm not short, you old hag!" Naruto retorted, glaring right back. She was tall enough that she was staring right at Anko's chest when the two were standing up straight, and she wouldn't let anyone talk down to her... Even if most of them had to.

The two, sensing neither would relent, pulled their fists back and send them flying at each other just as Kurenai walked forward with her hands up. "Now, now, you two can't fight over something like..."

 _Crack_

Naruto and Anko both paled slowly as they stared at the twitching Kurenai, who had a fist on each cheek and had her eyes closed as irritation began to form on her face. Slowly, her hair began to wave around slowly as chakra built up around her. "What... do you two think you're doing?"

Her eyes snapped open and a large figure, looking similar to a giant flower, began to form in the air behind her with massive vines beginning to grow from the ground, with thick and sharp looking thorns spread down them. Ino and Hinata were surrounded by said vines, both of them hugging each other out of fear but were thankful the thorns weren't close enough to touch them.

Anko and Naruto, sensing the danger they were in, hastily dropped down in front of Kurenai, bowing deeply with their hands and heads against the ground. "We're sorry! Please don't kill us!" They both pleaded, earning a soft, but foreboding chuckle from Kurenai.

"Kill you? No, I won't do that..." She took a step forward and the two flinched slightly from the sound of Kurenai cracking her knuckles.

"I'll just... return the favor."

* * *

"This is all your fault, you know." Naruto chided her purple haired companion.

"It's _your_ fault, brat. Throwing a hissy fit over your height. What are you, twelve!?"The woman retorted, glaring towards the blonde.

Naruto tilted her head slightly, letting some of her blonde hair fall over her face. "Well... Yeah, kind of." Anko blinked at that, humming as she faced forward again.

"Yeah, I guess you are. But it's still your fault."

"It's both of your faults, so shut up already!" Kurenai snapped, pointing a pair of chopsticks towards the two. The two instantly went quiet with matching pouts on their faces, which went along with the large bruise both were sporting on their respective heads.

Kurenai also had a small bruise where Naruto had punched her, though Anko had actually pulled her strength back quite a bit, leaving only a light red mark. Neither of them could be seen, however, as Kurenai covered them with a Genjutsu.

The group were still in the same field with everyone having a bento box, supplied by Kurenai, on their laps with each having only small differences in their contents. Hinata had cinnamon buns, Ino had pudding, Anko had dango, and Kurenai had pieces of octopus with wasabi.

All of which being their respective favorite foods as Kurenai had learned what their favorite foods were from different sources.

Naruto, however, did not have ramen which was her favorite food, but a mix of everything the others had as Kurenai knew the girl liked ramen, but couldn't very well put that in a bento box. Not to mention the whiskered Genin had enough ramen as is.

She didn't seem to mind the lack of ramen either, if the way she shoveled food into her mouth was any indication.

Kurenai cleared her throat after swallow a bit of rice, looking at the group with a frown. "Now, this is a bit... late, but now that everyone has calmed down, let's introduce ourselves to each other." She sat up a little straighter as the others looked up at her, each of them pausing in eating their meal.

"I am Kurenai Yuhi. I'm a recently promoted Jounin, and I enjoy painting... I dislike sexist men who believe Kunoichi are worthless, and... My dream, for now, is to teach you three how to be capable Kunoichi of Konoha. and... hopefully keeping you from killing each other." The last part was added with a playful tone, looking pointedly at Naruto and Anko who had the decency to blush. "Anko, you next, if you don't mind..."

Anko huffed, biting down on her stick of dango. "Mmn, well... I'm Anko Mitarashi, though you're crazy if you don't know who I am already~" The woman grinned a bit, picking at her teeth with the left over dango stick, ignoring the way Kurenai rolled her eyes. "Mmn... I enjoy dango, feeding my snakes, and using my whip to..." A hand suddenly shot over her mouth as Kurenai appeared beside her, a red blush on her face as she sighed.

"Anko, keep the personal things to yourself. They're still just kids." Kurenai sighed, pulling her hand away as Anko frowned at her.

"Just kids? They're old enough to kill and damn it, they're going to kill before they make Chunin unless we get nothing but D-rank missions." She pointed the dango stick towards her red-eyed friend, who was frowning. "Not to mention this sort of stuff should have been covered in the Kunoichi lessons anyways."

"Kunoichi lessons?" Naruto questioned, her head tilted to the side.

"Yeah, you know. The lessons where they teach you about sex and how to arrange flowers or something." Anko waved her hand slightly. "All the girls had to take them since it's a pretty dangerous world out there for them."

Naruto hummed softly to herself, chewing a bit on her own stick of dango. "Mmn.. I don't think I took anything like that." She muttered softly, much to the shock of the rest of the females present.

Ino was the first to recover. "What do you mean you never took those lessons? I could have sworn I saw you there. In that field of flowers near the academy?" Naruto shook her head in response, staring blankly at Ino.

"I've never been in a field of flowers."

"Did you not think it was weird that every girl but you were going off somewhere at once, brat?" Anko questioned, annoyance clear on her face and in her voice.

Naruto simply shook her head. "No, Baiasu-Sensei always said I wasn't included from what they were doing, so I just did extra Taijutsu training with the boys. I didn't know it was some... Kunoichi training." She explained, humming quietly to herself as she bit down on another stick of dango.

Anko growled angrily, causing Naruto to flinch slightly from the irritated expression on the Snake Mistress's face. "Why that son of a..." Kurenai suddenly grabbed Anko's shoulder, just as the woman was about to shoot to her feet.

"Anko, calm down."

"Calm down!?" The woman turned her head towards her friend, glaring slightly. "The man just..!" Her words died down in her throat as Kurenai returned the angered gaze with one of her own.

To the others, it looked like Kurenai was very calm with a neutral expression on her face... But Anko could read the woman's eyes.

She was absolutely furious.

"Yes, I know." The woman responded easily, shaking her head. "But this isn't the time to discuss it. We'll go over it with the Hokage first. Now... Ino? Would you mind continuing? Your likes, dislikes, hobbies... Dream. All of that." The woman ignored the "Hey, I wasn't even done!" from Anko.

Ino nodded slightly, still slightly stunned that someone had treated Naruto in that way. She knew the girl was glared at on the street, but to trick her into not taking Kunoichi training... The icy aura seeming to come off of Kurenai and Hinata at the same time just added to her discomfort.

The Yamanaka shook her head to clear her thoughts and put her bento to the side as she began to speak. "Well, I'm Ino Yamanaka, I enjoy shopping and flower arrangement... Uhh... I dislike sashimi and people who pick on people weaker than them... I'm not sure what my dream is yet, though." The girl finished and pointedly looked over at Hinata, who flinched slightly.

Kurenai smiled a bit and chuckled. "I believe she wants you to go next, Hinata."

"R... Right." Hinata muttered, gulping down the last bit of the cinnamon bun she was savoring and blushing a bit as everyone's eyes turned towards her. "U.. Um.. I'm Hinata Hyuuga... I enjoy pressing flowers... and spending time with my friends... and family..." She shivered a bit, blushing as she saw Ino's knowing smile and the girl's light blue eyes glancing over at the smiling Naruto.

Kurenai and Anko seemed to notice the exchange, but Hinata turned her gaze away from Ino as she continued. "Uhm... I dislike... needlessly fighting, and people hurting those important to me." She squirmed slightly, blushing at the smile Kurenai was giving her. "My dream... is to save my clan from the Caged Bird Seal... and remove the branch system."

Anko whistled slightly, smiling. "Thanks a pretty big dream, kid. You've got my support though. Those Hyuuga bastards are way too stuck up about that thing. Pretty rare to see one like you." Hinata nodded slightly, blushing a bit from the bluntness of Anko's words.

"My turn!" Naruto announced, grinning as she held up her chopsticks, pointing at herself. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen, my beeest friends, Jiji, and training!" She tapped her chin, humming slightly. "I dislike the five minutes it takes to heat up ramen, and..."

She paused again, her expression falling with her chop sticks against her chin. "I hate... people who waste life and say emotions aren't important, or those that treat people horribly for something out of their control." The blonde muttered quietly, her eyes looking at the ground but shining with rage and sorrow, as she saw the image of the dying boy flash before her eyes once again and the images of the villagers glaring at her in hatred.

The sudden change in expression startled Ino and Hinata, who had not seen that side of Naruto before, while Anko and Kurenai simply shared a knowing look, both deciding at the same time to question the Hokage about the blonde.

Then, just as quickly as it came, Naruto's smile returned as she grinned playfully. "I also hate Sasuke-teme and Ami-teme. They're total jerks." She hummed and nodded slightly. "My dream is to control my life how I want, and become the strongest!" She finished with a sharp nod.

The other girls were silent, staring at Naruto quietly who began to sweat slightly from their stares. "W.. what? Did I say something weird?"

Kurenai sighed, shaking her head. "No, it was fine, Naruto. But now let's talk about the test we just had... First, I'd like to know what you did, Naruto. How did you know I put you under a Genjutsu?"

"And how the hell did you get rid of all those kunai, brat? It wasn't a Genjutsu." Anko added, glaring at the girl in question.

"Eh? The Genjutsu..?" She hummed slightly, her eyes widening as she recalled leaving the academy. "Oh! Right. Well, when we left, I noticed everyone was kind of moving weird." She pointed at Hinata, who squeaked slightly. "Hinata-Chan was moving really quickly in that restrictive way her clan makes her." Kurenai's eyebrow rose at that as she looked at Hinata who blushed slightly.

But the attention was brought to Ino as Naruto pointed at her right after.

"And then she was slouching when she was walking. She never does that, she always has her head held up. It didn't feel right, so I figured it was a Genjutsu." Naruto explained with a nod, crossing her arms under her chest while Ino blushed slightly.

Kurenai nodded slightly, smiling. "It's good to be so observant, Naruto. I can tell you really care for your friends." Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of her head a bit.

"But what the hell was with the kunai thing!?" Anko interrupted, slapping her knees. "Explain it, brat!"

Naruto rolled her eyes, nodding as she stood up. " I think showing it would be easier, but I'll do both." Preforming her cross seal, the girl let out a shout of " _ **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**_ " and summoned four clones behind her.

She approached one, which pulled a kunai out of its pouch and handed it to her. "The _**Kage Bunshin**_ isn't a very durable Jutsu. The clones are solid, but a strong hit kills them. Although, if they die, I get all their memories... except for one part."

Kurenai and Anko nodded their heads, knowing that already. Ino and Hinata, on the other hand, were surprised at such the details of the Jutsu, since Naruto had only told them how she learned it, not exactly what it did. "What part do you not remember when they... die?" Ino questioned, watching Naruto toss the kunai into the air.

"Well... I don't remember _how_ they die, unless they willingly dispel themselves. That's why I wasn't using them to fight for the most part... The only exception was the one that turned into you, because I know it wasn't me that charged forward like that since she looked like you." The two Genin stared at her in confusion, though they turned to Kurenai as she spoke up.

"What she is saying is that if one of her clones die, she forgets how they died, as in what the final blow was, but not what they did until that point... Since the clone that died looked and felt like you, Ino, she won't instinctively think that she was the one who did what that clone did." Kurenai explained, sighing slightly. "The memory return is a double edged sword."

Hinata let out a soft 'Oh' while Ino frowned, staring at her blonde friend with a concerned look on her face. "What about the ones that dispel normally? Do you not have the same problem?"

Naruto shook her head slightly, tossing the kunai up again. "No, when they dispel themselves, I know I can't do that, so I can separate the memories pretty easily. But anyways... I think I should explain the kunai thing before Anko-Sensei jumps me~" The Jinchuuriki stuck her tongue out a bit at Anko, who simply glared playfully with a smile.

"You better! Or I'll jump you and give you some reaaaaal Kunoichi training." The Jounin teased, earning a soft slap from Kurenai while the others blushed slightly.

"E.. Er, okay.." Naruto stammered, huffing as she held the kunai up towards the group. "Well, I got this kunai from my _**Kage Bunshin**_ , right? And it's still made of metal, but it's also got the same rules the clones have." With that, the girl spun the kunai around and then stabbed one of the clones in the face.

The result was instant, with the other two gasping as the clone exploded into smoke. "They can't take strong hits, like I said, because they're not real. The kunai can still pierce, just like my clones can still punch, but one hit and they're gone." She held the kunai up, staring at it.

"The trick I used is something I thought up after accidentally eating some ramen one of my clones made when I created it." The girl's face turned sour at the memory, but returned to a smile quickly.

"See, anything the clone makes is still part of the clone, even this kunai. So if something strikes the kunai really hard, then..." She slapped the side of the kunai for an example with her free hand, causing the kunai and the clone that had handed it to the original to both explode in a poof of smoke.

Kurenai's eyes widened a bit as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Ohh, I see... So you made the clones kill themselves after the kunai began to come down... But what about the way you multiplied them?"

"Oh, that's easy." She gestured towards her remaining two clones. "The _**Kage Bunshin**_ has a rule that if the original is destroyed, all sub clones are destroyed." The blonde pointed at herself. "I'm the original for the clones, but if I was killed or destroyed...or whatever, then all of my clones would disappear too."

Anko hummed, grinning as she saw what the girl was saying. "The kunai the clones have are bound to them, though, and when you copied them to make that attack..."

"I had the clones dispel themselves, which got rid of the original fake kunai they had thrown and got rid of all of the kunai that they created with the _**Kage Kunai no Jutsu**_." Naruto finished with a nod, smiling as she stuck her tongue out. "You really fell for that one, Sensei~" The girl teased.

"Watch it you little brat!" Anko shouted, playfully holding her fist up. "Or I'll pound you again!"

"You didn't even do it before!"

"That's enough, you two." Kurenai warned, sighing slightly as she looked over at Hinata and Ino as the other two pouted. "Hinata, Ino, do you two have anything to add? I have already been over your strategy, so there isn't much need for review."

"Ah..." Hinata slowly hook her head, smiling.

Ino rubbed her chin, humming. "Actually, I wanted to know how Goldie got us out of those ropes."

"Oh, that was easy too!" Naruto smiled, looking over at one of her clones. "Hey, turn into a kunai." The clone nodded, quickly doing the seals for _**Henge**_ and turned herself into a kunai in the middle of the air. The real Naruto grabbed the kunai out of the air, tossing it up into the air. "See? I just had two clones turn into kunai when they were lining up and had them toss them."

The blonde tossed the kunai up into the air, though this time the kunai, and the last clone, both turned to smoke as she smiled at them. "I just had them turn to normal before they landed, and then they cut the ropes. The rest... is history."

Kurenai nodded slowly, smiling to herself as she stood up. _'That strategy of hers is definitely only something she could have done. At the same time...'_ Her red eyes went over Hinata and Ino, who were also standing up. _'Those two created a strategy with each other just as quickly and it would have worked if they weren't fighting a Jounin. Once they get stronger...'_

 _'There's no telling what these three are capable of.'_

Smiling at her own thoughts, Kurenai addressed the Genin. "Hinata, Naruto, Ino... Because you passed the test Anko and I set up for you, I now officially say that we are Team 8!" The three Genin smiled happily at each other with Naruto putting one arm each around the waist of the other two new Genin. Kurenai smiled at the scene, looking over at Anko who grinned as she created a clone, handing it a camera.

"And since you are now our cute little Genin, we'll be taking a picture." The Snake Mistress announced, grinning as she got behind the three Genin with Kurenai following behind.

Ino quickly put up a peace sign as she smiled at the camera, blushing a bit as Anko's arm wrapped around her neck with the Jounin's chest pushing against the back of her head and Naruto's. Naruto still had her arms around the two girls, blushing and sticking her tongue out slightly with her eyes closed while squirming slightly as Anko rested her free hand on Naruto's head.

The other side of the picture was much more tame, as Kurenai was simply staring at the camera with a smile on her her face with a hand on Hinata's shoulder, while Hinata herself was giggling with one hand to her mouth, staring at Naruto's expression.

The clone of Anko grinned... and snapped the picture.

* * *

"Ah!" Ino suddenly shouted, slapping her face once as the three new Genin of Team 8 walked down the street in Konoha beside each other. "I completely forgot to ask why we had two Sensei!"

* * *

 _ **AN: Chapter... End! Faster this time, right? I actually didn't reach my intended milestone, but I figured with the last chapter being so short I could cut you guys some slack, since I was only a few pages off.**_

 _ **Anyways, this chapter covers some of the strengths and weaknesses of techniques that hopefully explain why Naruto isn't just a brawler with Kage Bunshin like**_ **he** ** _is in canon. There are other downsides that will come into play and this is mostly to balance out the usage of such things. For me, that keeps me on the straight path of keeping Naruto "balanced" and not even get close to the realm of "Godly Naruto."_**

 _ **Some of these weaknesses may be expanded upon or simply worked past so they aren't weaknesses anymore.**_

 _ **Anyways, tell me what you thought about this chapter! Honestly, I felt I could have expanded the battles a bit more, but with everything that happened, I figured it was a bit out of character for Kurenai to simply let that play out. Anko and Naruto probably wouldn't have stopped fighting for a long time if she did.**_

 _ **The next chapter will take some time, and I'm sorry to say that. But rest assured that it**_ **will** ** _come out... and that you still have a lot to look forward to! I finally managed to get past a major wall that was slowing my writing down and now it's just a test to see how lazy I am._**

 _ **Lastly, thank you for your reviews and please... Give me more! I've got 300 follows on this story, amazingly enough, but I want more reviews! Tips or questions are very welcome and I respond privately to questions unless they're asked a lot or it's something a lot of people are wondering... then I'd probably put it in the chapter, like I did with this one.**_


	10. Reports aren't what make a Kage

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

 _ **AN: Sorry for such a long wait, and to be honest not much has been written since my last update. I didn't hit a "wall" this time of stuff I didn't want to write, I simply got... distracted. By lots of things. You know, like games. I've been trying to get around this block of mine, but it has been difficult.**_

 _ **Mostly because I'm a spaz-type writer. I write randomly, usually a few pages or so, at a time and then get distracted. But the main issue is: I don't write for just this story. I have so many ideas rambling around in my head. I mean, I've got a file called "summaries" that's about the size of a chapter. Considering each "summary" is typically just a paragraph to remind me what it's about, that should tell you how many ideas I've had.**_

 _ **Two ideas in particular have been 'demanding' my attention over this story. One that focuses on Sakura, a redemption story if I've ever seen one over the trash that Canon Sakura is, and Naruto story that takes place after Sasuke's desertion. There's too much to go into detail with that one, but it has Tayuya as a main character and both stories feature a male Naruto, believe it or not. Although the 2nd story does have a female Naruto arc in it...**_

… _**But that's beside the point. To be honest, I want to upload and focus on one of those two to keep myself from getting burnt out on Tales of Kunoichi while still giving people something to read. So...**_

 _ **I'd like it if people told me what story they find more interesting from what I've said so far. To be honest, the Sakura one is pulling me more towards it and I've already got three arcs worth of stuff in my head, although the story itself is only at 15 pages... But that's beside the point.**_

 _ **I took up too much room with this little question / explanation of mine, but the bottom line is I'm trying to get back into writing again. The holidays will definitely help with that. Less work. I don't know when you can expect the next chapter to this story, but I'm really close to the next major arc in the 'main' file for it, so look forward to that at least. I don't plan on dropping this story.**_

 _ **Sorry for the wall of text, and please enjoy the wall of text below.**_

* * *

 _ **An hour after Team 8 completed their 'test'.**_

Anko and Kurenai sighed as the secretary for the Hokage finally waved them in, along with Asuma and Kakashi who had been waiting. The group waved at Genma along with the dejected looking Jounin of Teams 1 through 5.

It had been decided that all civilian Jounin, which included Genma, would report first and all Jounin who had clan members in their teams would report last... both sides revealing whether or not their team passed... or failed.

On the record, very few civilian born teams made the cut. More often than not, they would fall behind the clans who raised the children from birth in the Ninja arts. Which was understandable, but more often than not it was simply because of the civilian parents spoiling their child rotten.

But there were plenty of exceptions to that, such as Haruno Sakura's father, who had been a well respected civilian born Jounin. That man's status alone put his daughter far above most of the other villagers, even if he never trained her like the clans.

Anko, ever the tactless, was quick to jump on the idea of the villager's children not making the cut. "Lots of sad faces out there. None of the new kids made it?" The woman asked with a grin, sitting down on one of the six wooden chairs set up in front of the Hokage's desk.

Kurenai sighed as she took a seat beside Anko, while Kakashi sat on Kurenai's other side and Asuma on the Kakashi's other side, leaving two chairs on Asuma's right open. "You could be a little nicer, Anko..." Kurenai scolded her friend, prompting the woman to shrug in response.

"The old man doesn't care and it's an honest question." She pointed out, grinning at the Hokage. "Right?"

Hiruzen chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I do not mind the question, but I do care that such a question can be asked... The village does need many strong Ninja, and it is a shame so many have to go." He paused, taking a puff of his pipe that he was thankful to have lit before the Jounin entered. "But to answer your question, no." The woman blinked at that and Asuma raised his eyebrow, taking a puff of his cigarette.

"Oh? That's surprising. Which team passed?" Asuma asked curiously.

"Team 6, the one under Genma." Hiruzen answered, staring at the sheet of paper the report was on. "According to him, the three Genin didn't show too much talent, but enough to pass. Ami has leadership qualities, but overestimates herself, and the other two both relied too heavily on her instruction and didn't make any judgments of their own."

Anko rolled her eyes, crossing her arms under her chest as she leaned back in her chair. "Genma has always been too soft on kids. I wouldn't have let runts like that pass."

Kurenai sighed softly, shaking her head. "You wouldn't let anyone pass if it was just up to you." The black haired beauty pointed out, smiling as Anko stuck her tongue out slightly.

Hiruzen chuckled softly, placing his report down. "I think that those three could learn from Genma on how to think for themselves... But let's hear how your teams did... Kurenai?" He turned towards the Genjutsu mistress who shook her head slightly.

"They passed, but I'd like to save my report for last, Hokage-Sama. It's a bit lengthy." Hiruzen smiled knowingly, his eyebrow going up slightly.

"Naruto?"

Anko and Kurenai nodded at once, confirming his suspicions. "Naruto."

Chuckling, the Hokage turned his gaze towards Kakashi instead, smiling. "Well, then would you mind going first, Kakashi?" The silver haired Jounin hummed slightly, nodding his head as he stared down at his orange book.

"Well, let's see... Shikamaru has very high brain power, just like his father... Although I would say Shikamaru analyzes situations better than his father, but not people." Kakashi flipped a page in his book, humming. "He understood the point of the test right away and explained it to his team... which did require me to pass them right away, but I decided to keep testing them."

The Jounin held up two silver bells that, in his test, was the 'objective' of the test. The team had to get the two bells, and the one Genin that didn't have a bell would be sent back to the academy. Kakashi cleared his throat slightly before continuing. "Shikamaru already laid a plan down on how to get my bells, and instructed the other two accordingly, but..."

He shook his head. "Sasuke wouldn't have it. He refused to work with the other two, claiming they'd just hold him back and take the bells for themselves after he did all the work."

Anko clicked her tongue, scoffing slightly. "Talk about ego."

"Indeed." Kakashi sighed slightly, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. "Sasuke is good, skill wise. He was able to get me to put my book away. Probably would have got a bell if I didn't have two hands... He was even able to make a rather large fireball with _**Gokakyu no Jutsu.**_ But..." He shook his head again. "He's far too overconfident and..."

"Paranoid?" Kurenai offered, earning a slight "eye-smile" from Kakashi as his exposed eye formed a U.

"Yes, that's the word. At any rate, Kiba showed willingness to work with Shikamaru and he's almost as talented as Sasuke, physically. Akamaru didn't bring much to the table though, as they haven't finished training with the _**Jujin Bunshin**_ to let Akamaru take Kiba's form... He didn't show any talent in Ninjutsu, excluding _**Kawarimi**_ and the regular _**Bunshin**_."

"But did they pass? Sounds like the Uchiha brought them down." Kakashi sighed at Asuma's question, scratching his masked nose slightly.

"Yes, the two attacked me while I was dealing with Sasuke, effectively turning Sasuke into a distraction... Although, Akamaru and Shikamaru pulled Sasuke free while Kiba 'distracted' me. I had to pass them by that point... Because..." He sighed slightly. "It'd be a shame to have those two held back because of the Uchiha ego."

Anko snorted slightly in amusement while the rest of those present simply smiled a bit at Kakashi's words. Hiruzen himself chuckled a bit, shaking his head. "I expect you to break him of that, Kakashi. Anything further?" As the silver haired Jounin shook his head, Hiruzen turned his gaze towards his son, taking another puff of his pipe. "Asuma?"

"Right..." The man straightened up a bit before leaning back onto his chair, blowing a bit of smoke into the air. "Hmm... Well, I told them their test was to get my cigarette. They didn't really react to that, but let's see..."

"I told Shino to consider any bugs I push away to be dead, since I could easily kill them if I could move them. He seemed to get it, though he also seemed to be a bit upset." The bearded Jounin chuckled a bit. "Though it's hard to tell... Anyways, the three started to talk to each other about what to do around that point..."

"Sakura and Shino were the ones to come up with the plan, and it wasn't terrible, though it's clear none of them have really spent time together. Chouji was the front liner and tried to attack me with Taijutsu. He's slow, but there's a lot of force behind his hits, and he was able to take a couple hits without even flinching."

"A standard Akimichi, so far." Kakashi noted, getting a slight nod from Asuma.

"I was also using _**Futon: Soyokaze**_ _**(Gentle Breeze)**_ in order to push away any of Shino's bugs that came near me while fighting Chouji. Sakura tried to support from behind, with shuriken and kunai. She's got good aim and amazing form, practically right out of the text book, but her strength is lacking."

"Shino has the opposite problem. He's got good force behind throwing kunai, but not the best aim. Almost hit Chouji three times, I think."

Kurenai nodded her head slightly. "That's understandable. It's likely he relies on his bugs too much for aiming."

"That's what I thought too." Asuma stated, smiling over at Kurenai who looked away from him slightly as their eyes met. Chuckling, the Jounin continued, "Anyways, the three did finally manage to get my cig. Sakura bounced a kunai off one of Shino's kunai that went above my head and made me jump forward. Would have had a head full of metal otherwise, or pulled out something that might have hurt them." He let out a puff of smoke, smiling. "Chouji grabbed my cig right away and jumped back. They passed."

"Was the kunai deflection intentional?"

Asuma rubbed his chin at his father's question, frowning slightly. "I'm not sure. I praised them for it, but I think Sakura simply noticed how Shino was going to throw and adjusted herself accordingly. She's very by-the-book in terms of skills... If it wasn't for her low chakra amount and strength, she'd be a pretty good Ninja." Hiruzen nodded slightly, smiling as he looked towards Kurenai and Anko.

"Well, it looks like it's your turn, you two. What did Naruto-Chan do this time?"

Anko merely clicked her tongue, leaning back as Kurenai chuckled softly. "What did she do? A lot, but I was impressed with all three of them overall. I'll give an overview of what happened, but I have a few... important things to discuss with you about Naruto..." Hiruzen wasn't sure he liked the dangerous flash in the Jounin's red eyes as she stared at him.

But he kept himself attentive as the woman continued. "Anyways... I actually set up the test before we were properly introduced, by putting all three of them into a Genjutsu. The Genjutsu I used was _**Naimen-Teki Sekai**_ (Internal World)." The group nodded slightly at this, knowing the contents of the Jutsu themselves.

Naimen-Teki Sekai is a D-rank Genjutsu, which makes it easy to use and even easier to get out of, but it relies heavily on the user's abilities. Kurenai was known as the master of the Jutsu because of the way her red eyes seemed to scan everything, which allowed her to even change the way her target felt time. But there were, of course, limitations to it, such as the one Naruto had exploited.

"They all three fell for the Genjutsu completely, but Naruto was able to break it about two minutes after being put into it. She said the way people were walking were slightly off from what she was used to." Hiruzen chuckled slightly at that, smiling to himself.

"She has always been rather observant, even if she doesn't seem like it." The old man pointed out, to which Kurenai nodded slightly at. The woman then began to go over what exactly happened from her point of view, causing Anko to blush as her red-eyed partner went over how Naruto had tricked them.

The Jounin, excluding Anko, had surprised expressions as Kurenai explained what Naruto had told her about the way she used the _**Kage Bunshin**_ to scare Anko into creating a shield.

"Using _**Kage Bunshin**_ like that... and she seems to understand the fundamentals of that technique more than I do." Kakashi remarked, frowning slightly under his mask."How long as she even known that technique?"

"A couple days, I think." The Hokage answered, taking another puff of his pipe. "I have looked a few times at her home after she obtained the Jutsu. It seems she has a good ten or fifteen of the _**Kage Bunshin**_ running around at a time, which is unique to her of course. Most of them seem to just take care of house work, but others seem to be actively testing things in her back yard, where she has built herself a training field."

"She built herself a training field?" Asuma chuckled slightly, putting his cigarette out with a small puff of air from his lips. "Does she not know about the ones she can use for free?"

"She does, but we have Ninja that treat her wrongly as well." Hiruzen informed his son, frowning slightly. "It's likely she was told to not go to training fields by someone, and so..."

"She decided to make her own." Kurenai finished, shaking her head.

Hiruzen nodded, smiling bitterly. "She definitely does not surrender easily... But anyways, Kurenai, you were saying?"

The Genjutsu Mistress nodded her head, continuing her story and explaining how Naruto had rescued the two girls that had been tied up by transforming her clones into kunai, which surprised the group but they kept quiet this time as Kurenai gestured to Anko.

"Anko then engaged Naruto in Taijutsu, for the most part, and I went after the other girls... So Anko can take it from here." The purple haired woman blinked, having been slouched back in her chair with her chest in the air.

"Huh? I thought you said you'd handle it." She sat up straight, looking at Kurenai in irritation as the woman looked away slightly from the Snake Mistress.

"No, I said I'd handle the parts I was _there_ for."

"Jerk." Anko sighed in annoyance, but had a playful smile on her face as she sat up again. "Well! I don't want to bore you with details, so... Kid's good. Damn good. Her form sucks, doesn't even seem to know the basic academy style." She waved her hand slightly.

"But that doesn't even matter. She's got amazing vision, I was using about half my speed and she could keep up easily. Probably could have seen me even at full speed, though she wouldn't be able to react." The woman grinned a bit, crossing her arms. "She's also got a good head on her shoulders. Anytime I'd place false bait with my _**Hebi-Toru**_ style, she'd try to take advantage of it but block or counter any attack I made."

The _**Hebi-Toru**_ , or Snake Tail, was a style that originated from watching a snake use its tail to imitate a worm, baiting smaller prey into attacking first and allow the snake's mouth to close around the prey before they realized they were tricked.

"But... I'd have to say her biggest flaw in all... is her refusal to run." Hiruzen raised his eyebrows slightly while Kurenai nodded her head in agreement.

"What do you mean, Anko? A Ninja should not show the enemy his back." The Professor stated, putting his pipe to the side.

Anko blushed slightly, rubbing her head a bit. "Well, yeah, obviously. But she had a chance to get away with her team, but stayed behind to fight us... And she never tried to use _**Kawarimi**_ or anything to get away from me. She just kept fighting me, and only used _**Kage Bunshin**_ to dodge a fireball I shot at her." The woman explained, waving her hand slightly. "It's not a bad thing to keep your enemy engaged, but..."

"But she could have escaped, and should have escaped, from an enemy she could not defeat." Kakashi offered, chuckling slightly. "Perhaps that's true, Anko, but from what you've told us so far... I think Naruto was just keeping you busy so her teammates could escape, or defeat Kurenai."

Anko frowned at the masked Jounin as Hiruzen spoke up, "I do agree with Kakashi... But I also see your point, Anko. However, one thing to consider... is that Naruto's Ninjutsu is very limited." At her confused look, he quickly elaborated, "Like most Genin, they are only taught _**Kawarimi**_ , _**Bunshin**_ , and _**Henge**_ in the academy."

The man sighed slightly. "Naruto, however, cannot preform _**Bunshin**_ , only _**Kage Bunshin**_. Considering the draw back she explained to you, it's likely she views the technique as something too dangerous to use in battle recklessly. As for her _**Kawarimi**_... I'm not certain. She may have a reason for not using that to dodge an attack."

"Mm..." Anko rubbed her chin slightly, nodding. "Yeah... That's true. I'll ask her if she can't use the _**Kawarimi**_ or something... But it's a shame the _**Kage Bunshin**_ has a drawback like that. Has it always been like that?"

Kakashi nodded in response, despite the question being directed at the Hokage. "Yes, but there are ways around it. I'm afraid I don't know any of them myself, but Kushina..." He paused for a moment, fighting off the wave of sadness that came from the memory of his old friend, practically his adoptive mother. "Kushina never seemed to have that issue or speak about it. She never rushed in recklessly, unless someone was in danger."

Hiruzen nodded in agreement, smiling fondly from the memories of the red-headed Uzumaki. "Indeed, I do not recall her mentioning that either... I will look into it for Naruto-Chan. But is that all there is to say about her?"

Anko slowly nodded, sighing a bit. "For the most part, yeah."

"Then I'll take over from here..." Kurenai said, putting her hands on her lap. "Sadly, there isn't quite as much to say about Ino or Hinata since they only took part in one small portion of the test, but they impressed me quite a bit in that short time."

The woman went over the events that took place during her fight with the two Genin, including the usage of Naruto's leftover _**Kage Bunshin**_ to trick Kurenai into lowering her guard. "Hinata's form is still too stiff, something no doubt to do with the form not suiting her body..."

"Which her family will never allow her to change." Anko pointed out, shaking her head. "Any way we can get around that wall, old man?"

Hiruzen frowned slightly, slowly nodding, which surprised the two Jounin. "Yes, actually.. I have looked into the matter myself in regards to Hinata-San's situation... as Kurenai requested many times." The woman blushed slightly as her leader smiled. "It is good to see her in good hands... And I have this for you, Kurenai."

The woman frowned as she caught a red scroll Hiruzen tossed to her, staring down at it curiously. "What is this?"

"A loop hole." He answered, smiling. "You should take it up with Hinata tomorrow."

The woman nodding slowly, placing the scroll into her kunai pouch to read later. "Very well... Back to the girls... Ino Yamanaka was able to make a good strategy, and I believe she even used a minor Genjutsu to trick me into thinking she used her clan's technique. I noticed that she recovered from it rather quickly... But I was unable to test her Taijutsu. From her academy records, it seems she was just below Hinata in the female ranking."

"With Naruto above Hinata, at the top." Hiruzen added, smiling. "It seems we have a very nice selection of teams this year... And with you four teaching this generation, I have no doubt that I will see all of them sitting here talking about their own team in a few years..." Hiruzen chuckled softly as the Jounin smiled at his words. "Preferably with someone else behind this desk... I'd like to retire soon." He added in, chuckling a bit more.

"Oh shush, old man. You might as well be Hokage until I get your age." Anko teased, causing the Hokage in question to pale slightly.

"I'd... rather not keep the office that long. I've kept it too long already." He shook his head slowly. "Anyways... Is that all there is to report?" Hiruzen frowned, feeling the slightest regret as he asked that, noticing the two female Jounin look at each other.

"Actually, no... We'd like to discuss one more thing, Hokage-Sama." Kurenai started slowly, running a finger along a kunai that seemed to appear in her hands out of no where.

"O.. oh? And what would that be?" Came the nervous response. The man was more than a little put off that it was _Kurenai_ brandishing the kunai, rather than Anko.

"The castration of a certain academy teacher..."

* * *

Naruto hummed softly to herself, flipping through a page in the manga she was reading as she walked down the streets of Konoha, ignoring the angry glares she received as she did. Ino and Hinata had long since separated from the girl, both needing to deal with their respective clans and report their success.

Naruto didn't have anything like that, so the girl decided to see if Cat was up to anything, or if she could simply find something interesting to do.

 _'But I am sure glad I thought of putting books into my kunai pouch... Using a **Kage Bunshin** copy also means I don't have to worry about losing it some how, since the original is still at home.'_ The blonde thought to herself. She _could_ just read the manga with her clones, but something told her that it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable if an entire section of manga just popped into her head.

She laughed softly at one of the jokes in the manga, as the main character was dumped into a pool of water, again.

The brief amusement cost her, however, as she felt herself run into something, causing her to stumble back slightly. "Oof... Sorry?" The blonde shook her head slightly, looking up from her book...

And into open air.

"Huh..?"

"Watch where you're going, you stupid girl!" The girl blinked at the sound of the voice, looking down to see a young brown haired boy with a strange gray cap on his head, which is what his brown hair stuck out of. A yellow shirt with the Konoha symbol printed on it covered his chest, while a long blue scarf wrapped around his neck went down to his gray shorts.

He had a rather annoyed expression on his face and was pointing up at Naruto, glaring at her slightly. "Apologize right now!" He demanded, putting his free hand in the air as a fist.

Shock formed on his face as Naruto flicked his forehead with her right hand, since the left was holding her book still, while the rest of her body leaned down slightly to look closer into the boy's eyes.

"Hey, brat, don't call me a stupid girl. I already apologized for not paying attention, but maybe _you_ should watch where _you're_ going."

And with that, she stood up straight and walked past the stunned boy.

But she didn't get more than a few steps away before he spun around, pointing at her. "Hey!" Sighing, the girl turned around slightly, looking back at him with her eyes half open in an annoyed expression. "Don't you know who I am!?" He cried out, earning a blank stare from Naruto.

"Uh..." She slowly turned towards him, scratching her head slightly. "A... street performer?"

"N.. No, you stupid girl! I'm the Hokage's Grandson!" The boy shouted out, smirking to himself as surprise appeared on her face. _'Heh, that'll teach her. Now she'll start begging at my feet for...'_ The boy's thoughts were interrupted as Naruto's finger snapped against his head again, this time sending him stepping back a few steps. "W.. What..?"

Naruto clicked her tongue, standing up straight as she stared down at her manga again, rather than at the boy. "I said not to call me a stupid girl, brat."

She glanced at him, briefly, before turning around. "I don't care if you really are Jiji's grandson. You're you... I've got no reason to treat you differently because of something else." The Jinchuuriki began to walk away, waving her hand slightly as she stared down at her book. "See you."

As she was walking away, Naruto couldn't see the blush beginning to spread across the boy's face, but she did hear the new voice from behind.

"Ah, there you are, Honorable Grandson! I have been looking for you... You should know better than to wander off on your own, especially if you intend on dealing with such... unsavory people." A slightly haughty voice said, prompting Naruto to turn her head slightly as she slowed her walk.

It was a tall man, wearing the standard black outfit of a Konoha Jounin but with the cloth of his Hitai-ate tied around his head, hiding a majority of his hair while the metal with the Konoha symbol rested on the forehead himself. A pair of black sunglasses hid his eyes from view, but did nothing to hide his smug expression as he pushed them up.

"Ack! Ebisu!" The boy said, turning to face the man and starting to quickly step away from him. It was to no avail as the man grabbed the boy easily by the back of his shirt, lifting him up. "Let go!"

"Now, Honorable Grandson, we must get back to training if you want to be Hokage one day... Running off on your own will not..."

"I'm never going to get to be Hokage _your_ way! Now let go!" The boy cried out, struggling back and forth in the air.

Ebisu, as he was called, simply sighed and shook his head. "That attitude of yours is what keeps you from progressing. I can teach you the quickest way to become the Hokage, Honorable Grandson. Now if you just..."

The Jounin's speech was cut short at the sound of a book snapping closed and he frowned, looking up towards the blonde staring at him with a grin on her face.

"Didn't you hear the boy? He said let go." She playfully, walking towards the two. The child blinked at her approach, his face getting a red tint while Ebisu's eyes narrowed slightly, watching the blonde put her book away into her kunai pouch.

The girl seemed to move at a slow but controlled pace, a slight swing to her hips that made her appear older than she was.

 _'The Kyuubi child? Is she trying to imitate Kakashi with that book? Though her movement is more like how Anko typically moves...'_ The 'Elite' thought to himself, though on the outside he said, "I'm afraid someone like _you_ has no business interfering with the training of the Honorable Grandson."

Naruto smiled slightly, nodding her head slowly. "Perhaps, but what about them?" The girl asked, pointing behind the man.

He simply arched his eyebrow at the girl, scoffing slightly. "Please. I am an Elite Jounin, the trainer of future Hokages! I will not fall for such a simple..!" Again, his speech was interrupted, but this time by long slender arms wrapping around his neck and the man felt heat rushing to his face as two large 'mounds' pushing against his back.

"I think the boy said his name was Ebisu, ne..?" A husky voice whispered from behind the Jounin, and the man stiffened further as two more arms wrapped around him, this time his waist, and two more mounds pushed up against his back beside the others.

"Ohhh... _Ebisu-Kun~?_ " whispered a second voice, a low giggle following it. "My, what a _lucky_ sounding name... It sounds like we found a nice man to play with tonight, Ranko~" The voice giggled out.

"You said it, Xian-pu~" The other one giggled out, their hands slowly trailing over the stunned Ebisu.

Suddenly, the Jounin's face lit up a dark red shade and blood began to spray out, causing him to drop the boy he had been holding onto the ground, who was hastily caught by Naruto and carried away as Ebisu shot into the air... landing a few moments later in two separate clouds of smoke.

* * *

Naruto sighed, smiling down at the boy she 'rescued' as she dropped him onto the grass. Naruto had retreated into the closest forest, somewhere a bit past the academy. The two were now in a small clearing with a pool of water in front of them, surrounded by trees on all sides.

"This should be good enough to hide from that guy for a bit." Naruto noted, looking around for a moment before taking a seat beside the boy, who had yet to move after Naruto dropped him on his rear. "What was his deal anyways?"

The child blinked and squirmed a bit, scratching his red cheek. "Uh.. He's... my sensei, sort of. He's supposed to train me to be a strong Hokage like my Oji-chan... But I never feel any closer to that. He's always going on about shortcuts and stuff.." Naruto frowned a bit at the boy's explanation, pulling her manga back out.

"I see... Well, there aren't really any short cuts to something like that. You just have to keep trying, and keep getting stronger. Although Jiji's job seems to be more about dealing with people and stuff than anything." Naruto chuckled softly, flipping a page in her book.

The boy gulped beside her, blushing as the girl seemed to be saying all the right things to him at once. It was like she was plucking out what he was thinking and then saying almost exactly what he wanted to hear.

"E.. Er... Well... My name is Konohamaru..." He muttered softly, squirming back and forth. "What's yours..?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you, Konohamaru." The blonde greeted, smiling at the boy who felt his face light up in a bright blush.

Not sure what to make of the sudden heat, the boy quickly tried to find something to fixate his mind. "A.. Ah, um... Who were those two women that were grabbing onto Ebisu? The red head and..." He waved his hand slightly as Naruto chuckled, smiling at him.

"Clones. I made them myself, and then put transformed them to match some characters from my book here." She waved said book around slightly. "I made them a bit different... 'Bigger', in some aspects, which I think your perverted Sensei enjoyed." She giggled slightly, sticking her tongue out a bit.

Konohamaru was silent, staring at the blonde in wonder. She had defeated his Sensei, someone who constantly claimed to be 'elite', with just two techniques?

"Teach me!" The boy yelled out, standing up with his fists clenched. Determination was burning in his eyes... which quickly went out as Naruto waved her hand dismissively.

"Can't. I'm just a Genin myself, training to be stronger... I can't teach you, or anyone for that matter." Naruto said, shrugging slightly.

"B.. But..." Konohamaru shook his head, tears brimming in his eyes as he leaned towards the girl. "B.. But I need to be trained by someone like you! Someone who... _sees_ me!"

His words sent a shiver down Naruto's spine, and she frowned slightly as she glanced at the boy. "Explain, if you don't mind."

The brown haired boy flinched slightly, sitting back down and frowning as he stared into the waters in front of the two. "Well... It's always 'Honorable Grandson' this... 'Honorable Grandson' that, just because Oji-Chan is the Hokage. I'm even named Konohamaru so no one could forget my name... But even if I treat them horribly, no one calls me that." The young Konohamaru explained, pulling slightly at the grass.

Naruto stared at the boy, her face a bit blank as she considered his words. Konohamaru squirmed in the silence, but was surprised as Naruto began to laugh, having her book a bit over her mouth to hide it. Konohamaru just stared at her, his face a mix of surprise, disappointment... and red, as he blushed from the sound of the girl's laugh.

The boy felt nothing but disappointment and anger as she _kept_ laughing, though. "W... What's so funny!?" He cried out, a pout on his face as he stood up to point at the girl.

Letting out a few more chuckles before responding, Naruto's face was lit up by a smile as she lowered her book. "It's just so weird, this village... The same thing can happen with the opposite outcome.." She shook her head slightly, starting to stand up, with Konohamaru staring up at her with a confused expression.

She looked down at him, smiling as she held her book to the side. "Listen, Konohamaru. I'm going to become one of the strongest Kunoichi... No, the strongest _Ninja_ , in this world. But to everyone else, I just look like another brat, right?" Konohamaru squirmed slightly, not answering as he stared at the girl.

But the blonde continued, as if she didn't expect a response in the first place. "I can't just change their minds out of no where. They're always going to judge me about things I've got no control over... So I need to keep training. I need to keep getting stronger, until the only thing they can judge me of is what I've done until that point." She fiddled with the goggles on her neck with her free hand, looking up towards the sky above.

"You need to do the same, if you want to get out of Jiji's shadow. Keep training with that Ebisu guy, but don't believe a word about the 'short way to become Hokage.'" She shook her head slightly. "There are no short cuts like that. It's all hard work."

"B... But... Ebisu sucks! He never teaches me anything, and he doesn't even call me by name!" The boy cried out, a pout on his face as he glared at the water.

Naruto smiled, placing her hand on his head which caused him to flinch and blush. "Konohamaru, there's two things to say about that... First, everything is training. The make yourself walk, the things you do... Consider all of it to be training, and make it harder so you can improve on it." She patted his head as his expression fell into confusion once more.

"Eh..? How would I make walking harder?"

Naruto hummed, rubbing her chin. "Well, you could try walking on top of fences to improve your balance, but you definitely shouldn't try that right away. Work your way up to it. But the second thing I have to say... is that Ebisu may annoy you, but he is a Jounin. Even if he's a pervert, he's still got way more experience as a Ninja than either of us."

Konohamaru frowned at the girl's words, slowly nodding his head. "I guess that's true..."

"It is." Naruto agreed, smiling still. "But that doesn't mean we can't catch up to him. So if he wants to train you... Let him train you." The girl paused, tapping her chin slightly with her finger. "As long as he doesn't teach you how to be a pervert, at least." She added, causing Konohamaru to chuckle slightly.

"I won't. But..." Suddenly, the boy jumped away from her, pointing at the blonde who stared at him with a surprised expression. "I get it, Naruto-Chan! I'm going to get stronger, and stronger... And... then..!" He shook his head, his face lighting up in a dark red blush as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm going to make you my girlfriend!" He shouted out, turning around and running away with a bright red face before she could respond, leaving a slightly blushing Naruto behind in the clearing.

"Eh..?" The blonde slowly scratched her cheek, lifting her manga up again and staring down at it. "Well... That was surprising... I hope this manga isn't influencing my life more than I thought." The Jinchuuriki shook her head, a thoughtful look on her face. "I hope you heard at least part of that, Ebisu."

There was no answer, but the girl really didn't expect one. Flipping a page in her book, Naruto began to walk out of the clearing without looking up. "I know you don't like me, and I can't say I agree with the reason why... But I know what he's feeling, at least partly. If you really want to train a future Hokage, train Konohamaru... Not the Honorable Grandson." And with that, she walked away.

But in a nearby tree, a sunglasses wearing Jounin crossed his arms as he stared at where the blonde had disappeared. _'Indeed I did hear part of what was said... It seems the Honorable Grandson...'_ He paused, shaking his head slightly. _'It seems that_ Konohamaru _did not enjoy his treatment, despite his attitude. If that girl's words truly bring a change in him... Then I suppose I have no choice but to accept it.'_

Ebisu frowned slightly, leaning back against the tree he was standing on. _'But that girl... It almost seems like she's several Jounin wrapped in one.'_ The man thought to himself, thinking of the class he had graduated with so many years ago, most of which were Jounin now.

 _'She has Kurenai's thoughtfulness, Anko's playful attitude, Kakashi's reading habit and a bit of his aloofness... From the rumors, I'd always assumed she was an awful hyper active child with a habit of training too hard... Sort of like Gai.'_ He shook his head slowly, a smile forming on his face.

 _'But... I suppose she is simply Uzumaki Naruto. I had best do well to remember that.'_

* * *

 _ **AN: Chapter end! Hope you enjoyed it, and toss any questions you have towards me about it too!**_

 _ **Chapter info: This little bit was to give some closure on what happens to Konohamaru. I, personally, find it insulting when Konohamaru is completely tossed aside in stories where Naruto is in a regular situation. Konohamaru is annoying, to an extent, but he was the first 'young' person we see really respecting Naruto, even if Naruto was going on about Catchra...**_

 _ **As noted just above here, Naruto**_ **does** ** _share some qualities with the Jounin. This is not an unconscious thing on her part, and that's all I'm going to say about that... Although the Book thing wasn't intentional for her. She was just reading._**

 _ **Oh, and I'm curious if anyone knew about that snake that tricks animals with its tail... I actually only found out about that after writing Anko's fighting style, although it isn't the only one she has.**_

 _ **Anywho, hope you enjoyed it and hopefully I'll have the next milestone hit for real and not have to sucker punch a chapter in to let you guys realize I'm not dead, just dumb and slow.**_

 _ **Happy reading!**_


	11. Limitations at home

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

 _ **AN: Does anyone even read these?**_

* * *

Naruto yawned slightly as she reached her home, snapping her book closed as she approached. The blonde waved slightly at the numerous clones around the house as she pushed the door open to the land lord's office. Small influxes of memories began to reach her head as each clone waved, and then began to pop one by one, so Naruto wasn't overwhelmed by the memories.

The blonde barely flinched, already pretty used to it, and didn't hesitate as she closed the door to the office behind her. Inside was another clone, though this one was wearing a pair of fake glasses and had her ponytail over her left shoulder. The 'Ninja' outfit was replaced with a black t-shirt with the Konoha symbol on it and a pair of long dark blue pants that reached a bit past her feet.

The clone was sitting behind the desk, and was playfully referred to as the 'Land Lord' by the other clones. Of course, she was just another clone herself, but she was the only one that handled small bits of paper work that the Hokage had been sending her way, mostly involving shipments of supplies, like wooden boards.

She was also the clone that handled creating a 'copy' of the manga Naruto had been reading, so if she disappeared, then so would Naruto's manga.

"Hello, Land Lord, anything to report?" Naruto asked with a smile, pulling her jacket off and tossing it onto the bed in the room, which she sat onto right after.

The 'Land Lord' hummed, nodding her head as she shuffled through a few papers on the desk. "Yes, actually.. We got a message from someone called Anko awhile ago..." The clone noted, handing the original a piece of paper from the stacks.

"Anko? That's one of our new Sensei." The blonde muttered, taking the paper from the Lord, though she paused as she saw the girl's confused expression. "Did you not get those memories? I used a few clones in that fight, I thought you girls got memories from the dispelled cloned too."

The Lord frowned, fiddling with her glasses slightly. "Hmm... I didn't receive any memories. Which means..."

"There's a certain distance for the clone's to receive memories from other clones..." The Original finished, getting a nod from the other girl. "We'll have to test the distance, but I do recall getting a memory from one of the girls here while I was at the test... It's possible I don't have a limitation."

"Or it's just very extended." The Lord offered, getting a slight nod from Naruto.

The blonde was constantly surprised by the way her clones seemed to have their own thought process, despite just being copies of herself. It seemed that even though they thought the same way, they often reached different conclusions on a whim.

"Anyways... You can take a break. Thanks for watching the place." The Lord nodded, disappearing into a puff of smoke, causing Naruto to flinch slightly as information flooded into her mind, though she frowned at the glasses the clone was wearing landing on the chair she had been sitting in.

The blonde looked down at the paper in her hands, even as the memories of reading it before entered her mind.

" _Yo, brat! It's Anko, you've probably already met me by the time you get this._ " Naruto rolled her eyes slightly, but wasn't quite sure if she _had_ met the woman by the time the clone had received the note.

" _Anyways, I'm kind of in a … bad situation in regards to my house being ruled by over pricing dick. The old man said you owned an apartment complex, or something, so I'll be around after I finish reporting to him about our little test to buy a place from you! Don't over price it, or I'll tie you up and whip your sorry ass!_

 _Love, Anko-Sama._ "

The blonde stared at the note, re-reading it once to make sure she read it correctly, before tossing the paper back onto the desk. "She's going to come here to buy a house, huh... I don't even know what to charge for an apartment. I guess I'll look over the papers the previous land lord left..."

The Jinchuuriki formed the cross hand seal, creating three clones beside her. One of them flew through hand seals right as she was formed, saying " _ **Henge!**_ " and transforming her outfit into a dark orange top with black buttons and a long orange skirt. That clone turned around and grabbed the glasses off the chair, placing them on her face as she took a seat.

With the 'new' Land Lord in place, Naruto pointed at the other two clones. "You two experiment with the distance, I've given you enough chakra for five or six clones each."

"Alright, sounds good." The first clone remarked, turning towards the other. "I'm going to go to Ichiraku, you stay here, then if you get the memories, head to the gate nearby." The second clone nodded slowly, a frown on her face as the original rolled her eyes.

"Don't eat at Ichiraku. I'm not giving you money, and you can't pay them with fake money." The clone blushed at being found out, rubbing her head slightly.

"Heheh... Wasn't planning on it. Anyways, let's go!" She quickly walked out of the room, followed by the other clone who jumped up onto the roof, not wanting to bother the original and the Lord by creating and popping clones.

The Jinchuuriki shook her head as the door closed, turning her gaze towards the Lord, who was scanning over the papers left behind by the previous land lord now. "I'm going to go train in the back. You handle Anko-Sensei if she appears." The clone nodded her head, flipping through papers as the real Naruto stood up.

"Oh, and don't read the manga while I'm gone. I know you know why, but I felt like reminding you." The Lord had a slight pout on her face as Naruto exited the room, but she still nodded her consent. But while the original did say to not read the manga, the clones had free reign over anything else.

Which is why the original Naruto was now in the back yard with her hands flashing through hand seals, but not actually using any Jutsu as she had memories of reading the Uzumaki scroll the Sandaime had given her, despite having never touched the scroll after initially getting it.

But the girl had only read over what the scroll had said, and none of the clones had practiced the Jutsu or Taijutsu style that were written inside. The clones did, however, practice the "beginning of Fuinjutsu", but Naruto had no interest reading or writing anything for the rest of the day.

So, with that in mind, the girl slowly began to go through the motions of the scroll's Taijutsu style.

* * *

 _ **Later...**_

The sun was going down as The Lord, Naruto's "business" clone, heard the door snap open and the blonde looked up to see another clone walk into the room, closing the door behind her.

"We've got the distance marked down. Do you have the map?" The clone asked, receiving a nod in return as The Lord pulled a rolled up map from one of the desk's drawers.

The clone nodded and exploded into smoke a moment later, filling The Lord with the information she needed.

The girl hummed softly, pulling out several pens that varied in color and started to slowly mark down the distance between each section the clones had recorded information from.

It was in the middle of this process that the door opened again, but instead of a 'Naruto' opening the door, it was a tall busty woman with purple hair and fishnet covering her 'assets' behind a tan trench coat.

"Yo, brat! I'm here to talk about that note I sent you! Hope you didn't forget about your dear Anko-Sensei!" The purple haired woman announced, smiling as she walked into the room and closed the door behind her.

The sight and greeting would have been confusing for The Lord just an hour or two ago, but now the glassing wearing blonde had the memories of several clones now, plus the memories from the 'Original' Naruto.

"Hello, Anko-Sensei." The girl greeted with a smile, waving her hand slightly but quickly going back to writing on the map she had pulled out. "Sorry for not putting a chair out... I didn't have any extras."

Anko chuckled softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed in the room. "Why not just turn a clone into a chair for me?" The woman teased, letting out another chuckle as Naruto blushed slightly.

"They're still me, even if they're transformed... I don't need you sitting on me!" She huffed slightly, running her pen along the map.

"How about.. I lay on you? No boundaries between us..." The woman's voice was soft and husky as she leaned towards the girl, giggling as Naruto's face turned red. Deciding to give the blonde a break, Anko leaned closer to look at the map on the desk. "What are you working on? And... I didn't think you wore glasses."

The blonde smiled a bit, raising her hand up and hooking her finger through one frame on her glasses. "They're fake... I just wear them when I'm doing land lord stuff." She giggled slightly, running another line across the map. "As for what I'm doing, I found out some of the clones I left here didn't get the memories of that test we took, so I was trying to figure out what the distance is... The original doesn't have that problem, but it could cause issues later."

Anko arched her eyebrow slightly at the little bit of information. A limit to the clones getting memories? _'For some reason, I doubt anyone else has actually had the chance to find that out.'_

Shaking her head slightly, "Why glasses when you're doing land lord … things? And..." The Snake Mistress frowned, staring at the blonde curiously. "Are you a clone?"

"Mm?" The Lord looked at Anko with a surprised expression. "Yes. Did you not notice?"

Anko shook her head slightly, frowning. "Nope, can't say I did... Not until you said 'the original' like it was a title."

"Oh, no." The blonde started to roll up the map as she spoke, sliding a thin wire around it to hold it closed. "That's not her title. Her title is "Boss", and I am the Land Lord." The girl's explanation just brought confusion to Anko's face, which soon fell into a frown.

"Wait... You're aware you're a clone, right? I don't need to take my new student to a Yamanaka to make sure you don't have some sort of... multiple personality disorder, or something, do I?" Anko, despite her words, didn't sound too worried about the prospect. While multiple personalities could cause problems later on, the woman doubted it'd be big enough to cause that much of an issue.

Naruto hummed slightly, slowly shaking her head. "No, you don't need to worry about that. I know who I am, which is Naruto, and the 'original' knows she is the Boss of all the clones. The 'title' thing was something we made up to give one clone authority over others."

She gestured at the papers across the desk, picking up a pen right after. "This desk, for instance, is held only for the land lord copy. She handles all the paper work that Jiji has been sending us recently."

"Ohhh..." Anko nodded a bit, crossing her arms under her chest. "It's less of a different personality, and more of one clone being in charge of one thing, so there isn't any conflict."

"More or less..." The Lord shrugged slightly, "The clones, including myself, all have different thought processes, however. So we still try to talk things out." Anko slowly nodded her head, shrugging as she hopped to her feet.

"Well anyways, have you considered what I asked?" The hopeful tone of Anko's voice was not lost on The Lord, which caused her to smile slightly.

"Yes, but I'll admit I haven't done this sort of thing before... I just pulled up my old land lord's files to kind of get an idea of what to ask for rent..." The girl frowned a bit, flipping one of the pages over. "Apparently he was charging me twice as much as everyone else, but at the same time Jiji was the one paying for me..."

Anko frowned a bit, having been through a similar situation with her own landlord, but she kept quiet as the clone went through the papers. "But let's see... How does 10,000 Ryo sound? You'll have one of the apartments and access to the training field in the back yard." The girl looked up to see stars in Anko's eyes, letting out a soft gasp as the purple haired Jounin gripped her hands.

"Yes! Absolutely!" The woman practically squealed, causing the blonde's mouth to hang open a bit. "Does it matter which one I choose?"

"Uh... The one beside this room here is mine... so anyone besides that one."

"Alright! Give me the papers to sign, then I'll go get my stuff."

"R... Right..." The Lord muttered, putting out the papers in front of Anko, handing her a black pen. "Just sign the dotted lines..." Anko nodded, smiling brightly as she signed the papers with her name.

"There you go, Naru-Chan. I'll be back in just a bit... Maybe we can train some too, get a head start for tomorrow." Anko chuckled a bit, starting to head towards the door.

"Oh, the Boss is already training in the back... So just head there when you're back, if you want."

Anko smiled at the news, not responding as she left the office.

* * *

 _ **The Next Day**_

Naruto groaned quietly as she rose out of bed, rubbing her eyes as she stumbled towards the door. Her pajamas were a light orange top and pants, made of silk but with rips along the shoulders and knees. A white cap with a small rabbit on top, complete with two small but bouncy ears, was resting on her head, with her hair no longer being held up in a ponytail, but instead hanging down to the middle of her back.

Last night, Anko had returned rather quickly, making Naruto think she had been camping nearby or something, but after tossing her stuff into the apartment beside Naruto's own, the woman decided to pay the real Naruto a visit in the backyard.

But her 'visit' consisted of attacking Naruto out of no where, forcing the girl into a Taijutsu battle once again. Thankfully, there was no kunai this time, but fighting in the dark had definitely been a strange experience.

While Naruto could see almost perfectly, and it seemed Anko could as well, it still added a certain layer of difficulty as everything had a slightly black tint to it.

The main problem of the fight was not the darkness, but rather how long it took. It had practically been midnight by the time Anko relented, leaving a panting and groaning Naruto on the ground. The Jounin had simply left her there too, after thanking her for letting her move in.

 _'At least I learned how to do one of those Jutsu...'_ The girl thought to herself, yawning as she opened the door to her living room. _'Of course, it doesn't do much, just gets... people... wet...'_ Naruto's thoughts were sent into orbit as she stared at the scene in front of her...

Which was a completely naked Anko Mitarashi, sitting on her couch and slurping up one of _her_ ramen cups.

The Jounin turned towards the sound of Naruto's door opening and held her hand up while her cheeks were full of noodles. "Mmp... Yo." She greeted, causing Naruto's eye to twitch slightly.

"Y... You... You can't bust into my house! I even locked the door!" The blonde cried out, pointing at the Jounin, causing the bunny's ears on her head to bounce slightly. "And don't eat my ramen, I only have a limited supply..."

Anko giggled slightly, smiling at the blonde. "I'm a Ninja, so a lock can't stop me! And this is actually my ramen." The woman stood up, smiling at Naruto. "You're not put off by me being naked?"

Naruto turned her head, blushing and scratching her cheek. "I … am a little bit, but..." She fell quiet, stealing a small glance towards Anko's exposed body.

"Ohh?" The Snake Mistress grinned, taking a step towards the girl who instinctively took a step back. "Like what you see, Naru-Chan?" The woman teased, leaning down and pushing her chest up with one of her arms.

The action caused Naruto's face to light up in a dark blush as she turned it away quickly, trying to resist the temptation of staring at the woman's chest. "Go put on c... clothes, Anko-Sensei. We've got to leave soon." The blonde commanded, fiddling a bit with her shirt.

Anko grinned a bit, nodding as she stood up straight. "Fine, fine. I won't come back naked next time, but let's start having breakfast together, alright?" Naruto gave a slight nod in response, heading for the bathroom while Anko herself walked towards the exit of Naruto's apartment.

She smiled, picking her clothing up that was beside the door and starting to pull them on with a slight chuckle. _'She's going to be fun to tease... The other girls too, I bet~'_

The woman smiled to herself as she practically skipped to her room.

* * *

Kurenai ran her fingers through her hair, sighing slowly as she stared down at the scroll spread out across her table. Being careful not to undo the towel wrapped around her body, the woman sat down in front of the scroll with a sigh.

It was the same scroll the Hokage had given her in the meeting yesterday. A way to get Hinata away from the restrictions of her clan, and possibly get away from them all together...

 _'But can I really go with this? It's going to cost both of us quite a bit... Well, I'll take it up with her today. It's going to take awhile, so she'll have time to think about it.'_ Kurenai thought to herself, sighing as she rolled the scroll up.

 _'Well, it's almost time to get to the training field to meet those girls...'_

* * *

Anko watched with amusement on her face as Naruto ordered several clones around the house. The purple haired Jounin was leaning against the staircase, chuckling as the blonde slapped one of the clones on the head after it made a comment, causing it to pop.

"Having trouble, Naru-Chan?" Anko teased, a grin on her face.

Naruto rolled her eyes, waving her hand dismissively at the clones which began to walk around the house. "No, just giving them orders... Some of them just like making jokes." The girl sighed a bit, turning towards Anko in the same outfit she had been in yesterday, with her hands pushed into the orange jacket's pockets. "Shall we go, Anko-Sensei?"

"Sure, sure." Anko smiled, placing her hand on top of Naruto's head. A moment later the two disappeared in a swirl of leaves, which a clone swept away with a broom.

The two reappeared at the three posts in the large clearing where they had fought, though they were the only ones there.

Naruto smiled as she looked around, tilting her head curiously as she noticed a large opening in the middle of the tree line, a small dirt pathway in the middle of it that ended as it reached the clearing.

"I don't recall that being there. I thought we were completely surrounded by trees last time."

"Ah, that was one of Nainai's Genjutsu to keep you guys from actually getting away. It would have turned you around if you tried to escape." Anko explained, leaning against one of the posts. "But anyways, we're waiting for the others to go over your future as Kunoichi, so for now... Show me some techniques you know. Besides the _**Kage Bunshin**_ , obviously."

Naruto frowned slightly at Anko's request, humming softly to herself. "Well, I know _**Henge**_ , and... I know this move." Anko arched her eyebrows as Naruto moved to one of the wooden posts beside the one Anko was leaning against.

The blonde pulled her fists up and took in a breath, letting it out slowly before taking a step forward. " _ **Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!**_ " The Jinchuuriki shouted, using her copied technique which caused her hands to blur as they slammed roughly against the post at high speeds.

Anko could only watch in slight awe at the speed the girl showed, but she flinched as something hit against her face. The woman ran her finger across it, her eyes widening as she saw the red marking. Hastily, the woman shot forward, grabbing Naruto's wrists and pulling her hands back roughly, causing the blonde to wince.

"O.. Ow! What's that for, Anko-Sensei?" The girl cried out as Anko held her hands above her head.

"You dumbass!" Naruto blinked at the sudden insult, squirming a bit in Anko's grip. Anko sighed, lowering Naruto's hands in front of the girl's face. "You have to be more careful... Look at what you did."

Naruto gulped slightly, staring at the back of her hands which were covered with her own blood where the post had ripped apart her skin. Her knuckles were split and she could make out several pieces of wood piercing the flesh.

"D... Did I do that?" She stammered softly, squirming a bit as she felt the faint traces of pain.

Anko sighed a bit, letting go of Naruto's wrists and sitting down. "Sit. I'll patch you up." Numbly, Naruto nodded and sat down beside Anko as the woman pulled out a small tweezers, a roll of bandages, and a small cloth.

Anko sighed as she rubbed the cloth along the blood covered hand, causing Naruto to wince slightly. "Your technique is impressive, but... your hands are not ready to hit something that hard." Anko explained, starting to pluck out pieces of wood from the girl's hand. She frowned a bit, pausing as she saw the skin beginning to close right after she pulled the wood out.

Naruto, noticing the pause, smiled slightly to hide the growing fear in her chest. "Ah.. It's uh... some kind of bloodline, I think... that lets me heal fast." The blonde muttered, squirming slightly as Anko looked up at her with an eyebrow arched.

"Is it? I thought it was the fox." Anko bluntly stated, which caused Naruto to jerk her hands back in surprise. Anko frowned at the fearful look in Naruto's eyes and hastily gripped the girl's wrist again. "Calm down, Naru-Chan. I don't care about that stupid fox." She clicked her tongue, starting to pull out more pieces of wood from the girl's hand.

"B... But I've got a demon in me... and... how did you even know about it?" The blonde's words and expression just radiated fear... Fear that Anko would reject, or treat her harshly. The sight caused Anko's face to fall into a deeper frown.

 _'Stupid Villagers... Making Naru-Chan have that kind of expression.'_ The woman thought to herself in annoyance, but turned her gaze up to Naruto, keeping her frown. "Naru-Chan, every adult in the village knows about you having the Kyuubi. Why do you think they all treat you like that?"

The blonde frowned a bit, settling down slightly as Anko continued to pluck pieces of wood out. "But... What about Hinata-Chan? Or Ino-Chan?"

Anko shook her head slightly. "They don't know anything. It was a law passed down by the Hokage that all adults were unable to talk about the seal or tell their children... Something about wanting you to not have that kind of weight on your shoulders."

She frowned at the girl, her eyebrow arched. "Didn't he tell you this? He said he'd tell you all about the seal before the Genin exam."

The blonde blushed a bit, looking to the side a bit, though inwardly she was both relieved and terrified that her friends did not know about the Kyuubi. It meant that they could still hate her when they found out, but...

She shook her head, getting her thoughts back on track. "Er, well I think he was going to... He told me about it being there, at least. But I kind of interrupted him." Naruto explained, squirming a bit as Anko began to wrap her wrists with bandages, despite neither hand showing any form of damage now. "He mentioned my clan and I kept asking him about it."

"Oh? The Uzumaki Clan?" At Naruto's nod, Anko rubbed her chin slightly. "Hmm... What did the old fart tell you?" The Jounin questioned as she stood up, with Naruto following suit.

"Well.. He told me I might be the last one..." She mumbled slightly, getting a pained look from Anko in response, causing the woman to pause in putting up her supplies.

"Sorry, kid. I didn't mean..."

Naruto shook her head, smiling as she reached into her jacket. "It's okay. He also gave me this." She held the scroll up, pointing at the Uzumaki spiral that made up its seal. "It's got their basic fighting style and a couple Jutsu. I was practicing one of them when you showed up last night."

Anko arched her eyebrow slightly, leaning back against the post again and glancing at the large dent in the wood beside her. "Well, show it to me... As long as it isn't like the one you just showed me." Naruto blushed a bit, picking at the bandages wrapped around her knuckles.

"It's nothing like that. It's kind of weak, but I think it's a set up for the rest of the Jutsu." Anko nodded and Naruto smiled as she flashed through the seals she memorized just yesterday, surprisingly ending with the same cross seal as her _**Kage Bunshin**_." ** _Suiton: Jiko Haru! (Self Spring)_** "

A faint shimmer began to surround Naruto as she held the Jutsu. Anko watched curiously as the girl's body started to seem to be coated in a thin amount of water. Naruto's eyes opened and she flicked her hand towards Anko, sending faint drops of water towards the woman.

"That's about as far as I got. It's some kind of water producing Jutsu." Naruto explained, focusing for a moment to cancel the Jutsu which seemed to evaporate the water into the air.

"Did it not tell you in the scroll?" Anko curiously asked. Usually a Jutsu scroll would have some kind of description so you didn't end up using a Jutsu that turned your insides to mush on accident.

"It did, but didn't." The blonde pulled the scroll up again, waving it around slightly. "It kind of tells me what to expect but not exactly what to do. I don't know what the use of the Jutsu is."

Anko rubbed her chin slightly, suddenly looking to the side with a slight smile. "Well, since we have company now, we'll figure it out later." Naruto tilted her head at the woman's words, following her gaze.

The blonde smiled at the sight that greeted her, which was three female forms walking towards them from the previously mentioned pathway. "Hinata-Chan! Ino-Chan! Kurenai-Senseiii~" Naruto called out, waving her hands with a wide smile on her face.

The girls in question smiled at Naruto as they approached. "Hey, Goldie." Ino greeted, smiling as she stood beside the blonde. Kurenai took a spot beside Anko, nodding at the other Jounin, but staring curiously down at the imprint on the wood beside her.

Anko just shook her head slightly, mouthing 'Talk later' to her partner, who shrugged slightly as Hinata approached the other two blondes.

"H.. Hello Na... Naruto-Chan, I ..." The Hyuuga Heiress paused, staring at Naruto's hands as the blonde crossed her arms. Hinata's face fell into a frown, staring pointedly at Naruto's bandaged hands, with her eyes narrowed slightly.

The blonde blushed slightly at the intensity of Hinata's stare, rubbing the back of her head slightly. "Er... I just hit something a little too hard. It's not a big deal." Hinata's expression did not change, but she did look away as Kurenai clapped once.

"Listen up, girls. I'm going to go over what the plan is for the following days." The Genjutsu Mistress began, crossing her arms under her chest. "First, we'll always meet up here around this time. But after we meet, we'll do two to three D-Rank missions."

"Two to three?" Naruto repeated, frowning slightly. "Aren't they usually pretty long? Like, you know... Fighting bandits, guarding stuff, or... uh... Hunting for food?"

Anko and Kurenai shared an amused look, with Anko chuckling softly as she shook her head. "Sorry, kid. You'll just have to see what D-Ranks are like." Naruto frowned at her but slowly nodded, putting her hands behind her head.

"Hunting for food is a potential D-Rank, though, but very rare. Ninja are usually only called for that type when the creature is very powerful, or has caused harm to someone." Kurenai noted, shaking her head slightly at the end. "But it's very rare for something like that to happen inside Konoha, which is where all D-Rank missions take place."

Ino frowned a bit at her Jounin instructors."They're all in the village? That doesn't seem very..." Anko smiled, placing her hand on the girl's head and ruffling her hair, much to her annoyance.

"You'll see."

* * *

 _ **AN: Chapter end.**_

 _ **Hey guys, sorry about the short chapter and especially sorry it took so long to put out. I … ended up being very busy and lazy about getting the milestone reached. Lost my urge to write this story, I guess? Haven't really been doing much of anything in terms of writing, to be honest!**_

 _ **But I'll try to get enough done to at least get to the beginning of the next big arc. I'll try to update this up to what I have written after a couple weeks or so, regardless if I write more. But if I don't write more...**_

 _ **Then once we get to the "end point', it'll be a very long time before anything else comes out. Mostly because I'd want to get myself ahead in case I need to edit anything out for later!**_

 _ **Anyways, review and tell me what you think! Expect the next chapter up, regardless of my writing, by next month or so.**_

 _ **Oh, and for those interested, I wrote a short Undertale story... I know I said I hadn't been doing much writing, but I just took two hours or so /today/ to write it all down. Dunno if that'll go anywhere, but it's there if you wanna read it.**_

 _ **Happy Reading!**_


	12. Mission Status: D

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

* * *

"I saw." Ino murmured to herself, glaring angrily at the large fence in front of her as she moved a large paint brush up and down. "How is this actually a mission?"

"I think it's good training." Naruto stated as she did the same a few inches away from Ino. Her words just got Ino's angry glare to snap to her instead, though she still moved her hand up and down to paint the fence.

"How is this good training? We're painting a fence!"

Naruto smiled, shrugging slightly. "I see everything as training. Plus, I saw something like this in a book." The blonde leaned back slightly, looking past Ino to Hinata who was standing on the girl's other side. "You remember that one, don't you Hinata-Chan?"

Hinata looked over at the two and nodded slightly, a thoughtful look on her face. "W... Wasn't that the one about the assassin..?"

Naruto nodded, grinning a bit towards Ino, who huffed in annoyance. "I've got no idea what you guys are talking about... What book?"

"I.. I think it was called 'Gray Life.'" Hinata murmured slightly, getting another nod from Naruto as she stepped away slightly to cover more of the fence.

"Yep, that was it. It had a really neat scene like this where the main character was under cover as a painter, to paint some building belonging to the mob." Naruto rubbed her nose slightly with her free hand, grinning a bit. "But they had wanted it white, so it wouldn't draw attention to itself, but he 'mistakenly' started to paint it red."

Ino frowned slightly, glancing over at her blonde friend. "What does that have to do with us?"

"I'm getting to it!" Naruto rolled her eyes slightly. "Anyways, the target was the mob leader's son, to get the mob to act more reckless. So when the son came over and started to yell at the painter for using red paint, he acted surprised and spun around, hitting the son's neck with the brush he was using."

Naruto waved her own brush at Ino a bit, though was careful not to do it too hard. "But he had used chakra to sharpen the liquid and the bristles of the brush! So when he hit the son in the neck..."

"It cut him open?" Ino supplied, her anger forgotten as she listened.

Naruto nodded, grinning as she went back to painting. "Right! He started apologizing and said he'd go get white paint while the son just stood there, and all the blood coming out was masked by the red paint. So no one nearby even noticed until he fell over." Naruto stuck her tongue out slightly. "It was pretty lucky on his part, but we might have to do that at some point."

Ino shook her head slightly, frowning. "I don't see how us painting now will help us … assassinate someone later." The idea itself made the Yamanaka Heiress a little squeamish. She knew she'd have to kill eventually, but to do something like that so casually...

Naruto, not really noticing Ino's expression as she focused on painting, just smiled. "Well, it's like... How would we get hired to do that job and get into that position if we don't know how to paint?" She shrugged slightly. "I mean, it's not hard. But people always want the best. So we have to pretend to be the best."

"I guess so..." Ino muttered, grumbling as she slid the paint brush all the way down.

Kurenai, who had been standing behind the three and watching them, chuckled slightly to herself. _'Everything is training? Can't say I was that adaptable to D-Rank missions...'_ The woman thought in amusement, shaking her head as she began to walk away to leave them to their business. _'Well, we'll just see how they feel after they have the Tora mission.'_

She paused, turning towards the three for a moment. "I'm going to find Anko and make sure she's actually getting training supplies instead of filling herself up with dango. You girls head back to the mission center when you're done."

At the three "Hai, Sensei!", Kurenai smiled to herself and walked away, shaking her head slightly.

* * *

"Goldie... Can't you use your clones for this!?"

"Why? What would be the point of that?"

"The point!? We'd get done so much faster! I can't stand another minute of this."

"Oh, don't be such a baby, Ino-Chan."

"A baby!? A baby I could handle. But this..."

"Well, someone needs to do it..."

"But why did it have to be US!?"

The last cry of "us" began to echo itself in the air, causing Naruto to pick slightly at her ear from the volume. The three were positioned on top of the Hokage Monument and were given the task of cleaning it completely...

The mission had been accepted by Ino, thinking it wouldn't be hard at all to clean a giant rock, but the rock in question was surprisingly dirty. Bird droppings, pieces of trash that floated through the air, leafs everywhere, and it looked like someone had even came up top to draw on the heads.

The Yamanaka had felt a little bad wiping away 'S + S' that was drawn in a little heart, but a mission was a mission.

Now the three were sitting in the large metal plate held up by thick ropes tied to the top of the head they were working on, which was currently the Nidaime. Each had a bucket full of water beside them and a thick rag in their hands which they moved in circles on the stone.

Naruto and Hinata seemed to almost enjoy the task while Ino was scowling to herself, grumbling as she rung the cloth out. "This sucks..."

"You said that about the last one." Naruto pointed out, smiling to herself.

Ino's eye twitched slightly and she looked over at her blonde friend in annoyance. "Are you going to say you saw this in a book too?"

Naruto shook her head slightly, still smiling as she scrubbed out another marking on the stone. "Nooo, but I think this is still good training. Although it'd be better if we knew that … wall walking thing."

"Wall walking?" Ino questioned, frowning at Naruto. "We can't defy gravity just because we're Ninja, Goldie."

"Ino-Chan..." The platinum blonde turned towards Hinata who spoke and her eyes widened at the sight of the girl standing on the lip of the Nidaime... sideways. The girl's head was sticking out towards the village and a small playful smile was on her face.

"W.. What? How did..!?" Ino stumbled back, but was kept from falling by Naruto's hand resting on her back.

"Nice, Hinata-Chan! I didn't think you knew that already." Naruto praised, causing the girl to blush slightly as she stepped back down onto the metal.

"A... All Hyuuga learn how to do those techniques early on... B.. But I'm not the best at it..." Hinata muttered slightly, squirming slightly as Ino straightened herself up.

"How do you do that? It's some kind of chakra technique, isn't it?" The Yamanaka questioned, leaning closer to Hinata, who blushed at the intensity in Ino's eyes.

"Um... Well, you have to put a balanced amount of chakra at the bottom of your feet... The amount de... depends on what you're trying to walk on... B... But this isn't the best place to try it, Ino-Chan." Hinata squirmed a bit, watching her fellow heiress put her cloth down.

"Why not?" The girl questioned, frowning at Hinata.

"T... Too much chakra and you'll fly off... and too little a..and you'll fall." Hinata explained, placing her rag back onto the stone. "W.. we're really high up, s.. so it's too dangerous."

"Oh please. I'll be fine... I can do it with my hands too, right?" Ino's hands were already pushing against the stone as she asked, being coated in a thin layer of chakra.

Hinata squirmed a bit, nodding her head slightly. "W... Well yes, bu... but it's harder w... with your feet, which is why..."

"All the more reason to start with my hands in this position." The girl interrupted, smiling as she began to channel her chakra more, wincing as her left hand was shot off when she pushed too much chakra into it. This caused her to stumble back slightly, but not far enough to touch the railing behind her.

Naruto shook her head slightly, putting up a cross seal and summoning two clones behind her. The added weight caused the metal to tilt slightly, but the clones suddenly jumped off, landing on the nearby roof of a small building sticking out of the side of the mountain, just a bit below the Nidaime's face.

Ino and Hinata stared curiously as Naruto grinned, starting to scrub at the stone again. "Just in case she flies off. I don't know if I'd be able to catch her, so..." Naruto shrugged slightly.

Ino rolled her eyes, putting her hands against the stone again. "Hush. I'm not going to fly off. I don't have as much chakra as you." Naruto rolled her eyes in response as Ino started to move her hands up the stone.

Hinata squirmed as she watched Ino closely, though she kept rubbing at the stone.

It took about ten minutes for Ino to start climbing up the rock with her hands without sliding down. The other two watched curiously as Ino made her way up the Nidaime's cheek, her feet dangling slightly but pushing herself up every so often.

Ino grinned as she felt her hand grab onto the curve of the Nidaime's eye socket, chuckling slightly to herself as she realized the Nidaime probably had slightly sunken eyes. The sculptors were known for keeping their details as close to the original as possible, like how they put in the Shodaime's hat.

Ino looked down at the other two who were staring up at her, a grin on her face. "See? I told you I could do it."

"Yeah yeah... Hurry up and get back down here so we can finish this..." Naruto ordered, rolling her eyes slightly.

"Never! I will escape this terrible job." Ino announced, starting to climb up further.

"Ino-Chaaaan!"

"Neveeeer!" Ino called back with a grin, but as she placed her hand on the Nidaime's eye, the girl gasped as her hand seemed to sink in slightly to the eye itself. "W.. What the..." Frowning, the platinum blond pushed harder, her eyes widening as she heard a _click_ sound and the eye began to raise up into the stone above.

The other two girls, having noticed Ino's pause, shared concerned looks as they stared up at their friend. "Ino? You alright up there?" Naruto called out, cupping her hands around her mouth.

Ino was silent for a moment, slowly climbing up into the opening as she answered. "I... I think I found a secret door." She said quietly, looking at the rather fancy looking wood door that was hidden behind the eye of the Nidaime.

"A secret door..?" Naruto whispered, rubbing her chin slightly, putting the cloth down.

"Ah? You heard what she .s...said, Naruto-Chan?" Hinata asked curiously, having not heard it herself due to the distance.

Naruto nodded in confirmation, looking up again. "She said she found a door. Let's go check it out, Hinata-Chan!" Naruto grinned, grabbing Hinata's wrist and pulling the girl closer. Hinata squeaked in alarm, her face going bright red as her face went against Naruto's chest with the blonde's arm around her waist.

"N.. Naruto-C.. Chan?" The shy Heiress could barely hear anything above the bumping of her own heart. Or... _'O.. Oh~ That's not mine... It's hers... So warm.'_ Hinata thought to herself, briefly forgetting her position as her eyes closed.

She was quickly reminded of her position, however, as she felt the ground under her feet suddenly disappear. Her pale lavender eyes snapped open and she squeaked as she felt her face being pushed up against Naruto's chest, turning her face an even brighter shade of red.

But Hinata had the instincts to look up and down to see what happened and she gulped slightly as she saw Naruto was actually climbing the stone face with one hand while holding Hinata with the other.

The Hyuuga Heiress, very briefly, thought of telling Naruto she could have just walked up the cliff side, but the desire flew out the window as she felt Naruto's chest brush against her cheek again. Deciding to just enjoy it while it lasted, the girl relaxed against Naruto's chest with her arms going around the blonde's waist.

Naruto looked down at her briefly, blushing a bit herself as she shoved her feet against the stone under her and was thankful that rain had left so many small foot holds for her.

 _'Or maybe the Nidaime just had a lot of holes in his face?'_ The Jinchuuriki thought to herself, chuckling slightly. Eventually, much to Hinata's hidden disappointment, she reached the Nidaime's stone eye, pulling her lavender eyed friend up sitting her in front of the now open door.

"Looks like Ino went ahead of us." Naruto noted, smiling as she pulled herself up beside the glassy eyed Hinata. The blonde looked up with her eyebrow raised at Hinata's blank expression. "You okay, Hinata-Chan?"

Jumping slightly at the sudden attention, Hinata blushed as she nodded. "Y.. Yes, I'm fine, Naruto-Chan. Um... What is this?" Naruto stared at her fellow Genin for a few more moments before shrugging, standing up in the opening.

"Dunno, let's go inside." Hinata nodded in agreement, following Naruto through the door.

Naruto whistled slightly as they passed the door, finding Ino staring back and forth in the center of a round room. The room decently sized, probably about as large as Naruto's 'Land Lord' room if she was any judge, with a small 'hallway' leading from the door to the room.

But unlike Naruto's room, the room Ino had found seemed to be round in shape, if the ceiling was anything to go by, but the floor was thankfully flat. Only the pathway going from the door to the very center of the room was revealed, as the rest was all covered in scrolls of various sizes stacked on top of each other. Although most of the scrolls were covered in darkness, due to the only source of light coming from the door.

Ino was standing in the middle of the room in the clear area, looking around curiously. "I don't think we were supposed to find this." The girl noted as she pulled out one of the scrolls on top of the stacks. She turned the scroll over, reading the label on it. " _Fundamentals of Spirals_?" Ino read curiously, blinking as Naruto snatched it from her hands.

"Spirals are my symbol." The girl teased, waving the scroll around slightly as she looked around, pocketing the rocket soon after. Ino rolled her eyes but didn't argue, starting to run her fingers along the rest of the scrolls.

"But what is this place? Some kind of library?" The Yamanaka questioned as Hinata walked up behind the two, looking around slowly with her Byakugan active, despite the Byakugan making her vision cover the area around her.

"I do not see any s... seals, but many mechanical parts. Some are a bit rusty." Hinata said as she looked around again.

Naruto tilted her head slightly, crossing her arms. "Mechanical parts? Like.. gears and stuff?" At Hinata's nod, the blonde whistled slightly. "Maybe I should tell Jiji about this..." The girl thought out loud.

"I think that would be best." Ino agreed, turning towards the two and holding out another scroll with a frown. "Look at this one."

Taking it, Naruto frowned as she looked at the label. " _Blueprints of Konoha_?" Naruto asked with a bit of annoyance to her voice. "Who even labels things like that?" She muttered, tossing the scroll back onto the stack.

"S... Someone who was sure this place would never be found." Hinata stated, looking back at the door they came from. The other two walked up behind her, slightly pushing together due to the tightness of the 'hallway' before pulling away from each other.

"What's up, Hinata-Chan?" Naruto asked curiously.

Hinata pointed at the door they came from. "It's... covered in seals I couldn't see before. T... They're very... very dark. Very o... old." The Heiress shook her head slightly. "I... I recognize one as a Byakugan blocking seal... but it seems a... altered."

"Probably so they see stone, rather than seeing nothing." Naruto suggested, looking back at the scrolls. "I can't imagine any Hyuuga not seeing these scrolls otherwise..." Hinata nodded in agreement, having been thinking the same thing herself.

While Hyuuga were not known to just walk around with Byakugan on, it seemed unlikely that not a single Hyuuga for however long the Nidaime's head had been around.

Naruto formed her 'cross seal' again, letting out a " _ **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**_ " and summoning one clone beside herself. The clone instantly dispelled itself as it appeared, however, leaving smoke in the air.

Coughing slightly and waving her hand in front of her face, Ino hit Naruto's head slightly with her free hand. "Don't just do that without warning. What are you doing?" The girl questioned her fellow blonde, scowling slightly as Naruto rubbed her head with a pout.

"Ow... I was just sending a message to the clones below, so they could go talk to Jiji."

"They can do that?" Ino asked curiously, having only the slightest bit of knowledge of the _**Kage Bunshin**_ ability.

Naruto nodded, grinning a bit. "Yep, all clones that pop give their memories to clones that aren't popped, plus me. But the clones have a range on how far they can receive memories." The blonde explained, pushing up her imaginary glasses. "I even figured out what the range is."

"Oh?" Ino leaned against the wall a bit in the 'hallway', as Naruto nodded with a slightly smug smirk.

"Mhm! It's... about here to my house, actually." Naruto scratched her cheek a bit with a blush. "Maybe a bit longer. It seemed to depend on how much chakra was in them." Ino arched her eyebrow slightly and shrugged.

"Sounds like a weird draw back."

Hinata opened her mouth to speak, but the three girls jumped at the sound of a new voice coming from the doorway. "It is indeed. One that does not come up often." The three Genin turned to see the Sandaime standing in the doorway, a slight smile on his face as he walked forward.

"Jiji~" Naruto greeted, waving while Hinata bowed in greeting and Ino gave a slight wave, seeming slightly nervous as the man walked towards them.

"Afternoon, girls." The Hokage greeted, smiling as he stopped in front of Hinata, who was the closest to the door. He looked over Hinata towards Naruto, chuckling slightly. "When your clones busted into my room, saying they found something, I was a bit skeptical that it wasn't just another prank." The old man admitted, causing the blonde to blush slightly.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jiji. But look~ There's a bunch of scrolls in here." Naruto gestured behind her and Hinata moved out of the way, allowing the Sandaime to walk past her into the slightly more open area.

Brushing past Ino and Naruto both, Hiruzen stepped into the middle of the 'room' and looked around slowly. "Hmmm... You were right to inform me of this, girls. I am not sure who these scrolls belong to, but letting someone else find _Blueprints of Konoha_ would be a disaster." Hiruzen shook his head slightly as he held in the scroll in question with one hand, muttering. "Who even names things like this?"

"That's what I said." Naruto stated, nodding her head in agreement. "So what'll we do, Jiji?"

"Hmm..." Hiruzen stared at the scroll for a few moments before answering. "I'll consider you girls to be done with this mission and I'll handle the rest."

"Eh? What about the other two heads?" Ino questioned with a frown. "Not that I'm complaining about not having to do the rest..."

Hiruzen chuckled softly, smiling at the Yamanaka. "Well, it was a bit unfair to have you girls do this mission anyways... It's usually reserved for Chunin or at least Genin that have mastered the Tree Walking Exercise." Ino nodded slightly in response, blushing slightly as she was the one who had readily accepted the mission, although she had not even known about the technique, having expected it to be easy.

"Awh, but Jiji, don't we get first dibs on the Jutsu in here?" Naruto grinned, waving her finger a bit as her 'grandfather' stared at her. "We found it, after all... Mostly Ino-Chan, though." Naruto smiled as Hiruzen looked over the scrolls again, a thoughtful look on his face.

Ino, however, had gripped Naruto's ear and started to pull on it slightly. "Don't be greedy, Goldie." Ino scolded, causing the girl to pout and whine as her ear was pulled. "These things are probably super important... If the labels are accurate."

Hiruzen chuckled softly, watching the three as Hinata waved her hands a bit beside Ino's, trying to get the girl to let go of Naruto's ear.

"I will have to agree with Ino-Chan here." Hiruzen admitted, ignoring another whine from Naruto. "But I will go through what each scroll contains and give you... 'dibs' on the safe ones." He said with a slight smile on his face.

Hiruzen flinched back as Naruto's form slammed into him with her arms wrapping around him. "Yes~ Thank you, Jiji!" The Sandaime chuckled softly, patting Naruto's head softly.

"There may not be any Jutsu at all in here, you know." He warned, earning a shrug from Naruto as she separated from him.

"The potential is good enough to give my Jiji a hug!" She nodded sharply at this with her hands on her hips, but one hand held her chin as she tilted her head curiously. "But are you sure we should just leave, Jiji? We didn't finish the mission."

Hiruzen chuckled softly, patting the blonde softly on the head. "Perhaps, but I think you did enough for a group that does not know how to walk up the mountain... It would be different if _you_ had made the mess, by painting the Hokage Monument or something... But you didn't, so I say you are free to go."

Naruto nodded in agreement, mentally thanking herself for not going through with the idea of painting the monument. She had actually planned to the day she graduated, but the whole Mizuki thing had swept it under the rug.

But the Hokage didn't know that, and Naruto wasn't the type to inform people of the inner workings of her mind. So, out loud she said, "Well, Hokage-Jiji knows best. Come on girls~ We can start training now." The Jinchuuriki announced with a grin, electing a grin from Ino while Hinata simply smiled.

"Can't we at least get something to eat first?" Ino whined as she started to head towards the door.

"I guess that'd be okay." Naruto responded with her arms going behind her head. "Anko-Sensei and Kurenai-Sensei probably aren't expecting us for awhile, since I said I wouldn't use clones."

"I d... do wonder what they h...have in mind. Kurenai-Sensei se... seemed anxious." Hinata recalled as the three reached the door, leaving the Hokage on his own in the scroll filled room.

Slowly, the old man picked up another scroll blindly as he heard the girls beginning to descend the mountain. Their antics made him smile and he was glad Naruto had such close friends... But his smile turned to a frown as he stared at the label on the scroll he grabbed.

" _The Bijuu: All you need to know about what they do._ " The Sandaime read aloud, slowly shaking his head. "What kind of person writes the most literal labels known to Ninja kind and stacks them all together?"

As he spoke, a slight rumble was heard in the far off graveyard and the ANBU guarding it turned their heads, before shrugging slightly and going back to their positions.

Neither of them could have known the bodies of the Shodaime and Nidaime had just rolled slightly.

* * *

"Ah!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, startling the other two beside her.

"What is it, Goldie?" Ino questioned, frowning as she picked at the ramen in front of her. She didn't actually _want_ ramen, but it was the only place where Naruto didn't get dirty looks.

The blonde rubbed at her head, reaching into the pocket of her jacket with her free hand. "I forgot to give him that scroll I picked up."

Ino looked over at the girl with her eyes half open, disbelief clear on her face which caused Naruto to begin sweating slightly. Now, Ino wasn't the best at reading Naruto, like Hinata was, but she was a Yamanaka. Their clan revolved around the working of the mind, and while Naruto was a bit of an air head...

Ino sighed, shrugging slightly. "I don't care if you keep it. It's not like you're going to blow the village up with it." Hinata nodded in agreement. There's no way Naruto would do something like that.

"But!" The Yamanaka leaned towards Naruto, staring into her eyes. "Do not forget to give it back... soon. And definitely give it back if it's dangerous." Ino leaned back as Naruto nodded rapidly.

Hinata, who was sitting on Naruto's other side, smiled at the two as she slowly ate the ramen in front of her.

It was good to have friends, even if Ino stole her lines.

* * *

 _ **Chapter End. Does anyone read these notes?**_

 _ **Anyways, sorry for the late chapter and to be honest I still haven't written much to the main thing. I've written at least twenty pages for**_ **other** ** _stories, but nothing for this one particularly. I don't really plan on_ not _writing for this story, but I'm the type that just kind of writes whatever I feel like whenever I feel like. I'm reading a few Naruto-based stories to get myself back in the groove of things, though._**

 _ **A question: I've got various stories, Naruto and Ranma ½ based mostly, that I've got on the backburner. Some have several chapters and none of them are finished... But I don't plan on uploading any of them as a major story. Not while so much focus is on**_ **this** ** _story._**

 _ **So the question is: Should I make a "collection" of my unfinished stories to see what people are interested in? I've seen a couple writers do that so I don't think it's against any rules, but...**_

 _ **Meh? It'll just give me an excuse to write a bit more of another story, I guess. For example I've got one story that has Sakura as a major MC, another with Ino as the major MC... Neither of them having 100% female Naruto, which may surprise some people...**_

 _ **Meh! Tell me what you think, and especially tell me what you think about the chapter! As great as it is to get the "Loved it" or "Great chapter" comments, I'm still looking for what people enjoy and dislike about this story so I can improve my writing, y'know? But anyways...**_

 _ **Happy reading!**_

 _ **~Yasha-HebiHime**_


	13. Training Begins

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

 _ **NEW: Hey! You're probably like "WHOA! Another update this soon!?" And yeah, I kind of got into the groove again and wrote, like, 20 pages in the main document. Pretty neat, huh? Since I met my milestone, I decided to just toss up another chapter. Enjoy!**_

* * *

Kurenai sighed to herself as she stared at the red dot she had drawn onto the three wooden posts at the usual training area. She was waiting for Anko and the other girls to appear after the missions were done, but was currently alone.

She glanced around the area once, sighing again. The field they were in was not the best, as it just had three large wooden posts and... that was it. No water, no training dummies, and walking from the posts to the edge would take a good two minutes if you were casual about it.

 _'This is some how Kakashi's fault.'_ Kurenai thought to herself in annoyance. _'Just because he was the Fourth's student doesn't mean...'_

A slight poof interrupted that thought and the red eyed woman looked over to see Anko beside her, grinning with her hands on her hips.

"The girls will be here soon" Kurenai arched her eyebrows slightly at the news.

"Oh? I thought it'd take longer than that." She remarked, earning a soft chuckle from her fellow Jounin.

"Apparently they found something and the old man let them go. I found them at Ichiraku." She shook her head slightly, frowning as Kurenai sighed a bit again. "What's up, Nainai?"

"Don't call me that." Was the instant response, to which Anko only grinned at. Kurenai just sighed again, shaking her head and holding a scroll up to her friend. "It's the scroll Hokage-Sama gave me."

Anko took the scroll, staring at it curiously. "Wasn't this for Nata?" At Kurenai's nod, the Tokubetsu Jounin started to open the scroll and read through it.

"I've just been thinking of how to take it up with her and what to do about it..." The Genjutsu Mistress explained as Anko skimmed through the scroll.

After reading through it, she whistled lowly and began to close it. "Not bad. What's the problem, though?"

Kurenai sighed, shaking her head slightly. "My home allows only for one person. I cannot even have pets." The woman explained, earning an understanding not from Anko.

"Makes sense... Hm... Why not ask Naru-Chan?" The woman offered, smiling at Anko's confused expression. "You were there for that. The old man said she is the land lord of an apartment complex. I even got a room there just last night. I think she'd be more than happy to have you and Nata in there."

Kurenai's eyes widened in surprise and she resisted the urge to hug Anko for her suggestion... But then doubts came crashing down onto her again and she frowned. "But... Do you really think Hinata is going to go along with something like that?"

The Snake Mistress laughed, causing Kurenai to blush which prompted to her friend lean her head back and laugh even louder. Chuckling to calm herself a bit, Anko placed a hand on Kurenai's shoulder, smiling.

"Nai, the Hyuuga girl has it bad. Did you not see how upset she got from those bandages?" Anko had already explained why Naruto had bandages put onto her hands, to explain the missing chunk of wood from the post behind them.

Kurenai, despite her natural ability to memorize so many things with just a glance, often blinded herself with her own vision. The feelings that Anko was insinuating Hinata to have was something foreign to the woman. Not because she thought girls should not love girls, but the idea that her little Hinata had feelings like that.

It was completely out of the question, and the disbelief showed on her face.

Anko rolled her eyes a bit at the expression and turned her head towards the pathway in the field, smiling to herself. "Well, here they come now. Just ask the two if that thing could work out..."

"When the time is right." Kurenai proclaimed, shaking her head as she followed Anko's vision. The three Genin they were training were walking towards them, but the size of the field put them out of ear shot... At least two of them. "I will ask them after we test and start our training for them."

Anko hummed slightly, tapping her chin. "But how will you train Nata to do things outside the Jyuken if she doesn't agree to the plan?" Kurenai frowned slightly at the question and sighed.

"We won't be doing Taijutsu today... For Hinata, at least." Kurenai started, sighing slightly. "I do hope you got the papers?"

"Oh, yeah. I've got them." Anko pulled out three small pieces of paper, smiling as she held them up. "This should definitely help figure out what to do with the brats."

"What should?" Naruto inquired in front of them, her head tilted to the side. Behind her was Ino and Hinata, both having a curious expression on their own faces.

Anko grinned down at the curious girls, holding up small pieces of paper. "These papers, of course. Putting just a little chakra in it will tell you the affinity the chakra has for certain elements." Ino was the first to react, her eyes a little wide.

"Isn't it a little early for something like that?"

Anko nodded in agreement, starting to pocket the papers. "It's way too early for you girls to start mastering elemental manipulation. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't learn what elemental Jutsu you're best at." The Snake Mistress frowned at Naruto's blank look and sighed slightly.

Kurenai, following her gaze, also sighed. "You do know what Elemental Jutsu are, don't you, Naruto?"

Naruto's face flushed red as she scratched her cheek slightly. "Um... It's like... F... _**Futon**_ , _**Raiton**_ , _**Katon**_ , _**Suiton**_ , and..."

" _ **Doton**_." Anko finished, nodding with a smile. "That's right. Each of those covers one of the five basic elements. But chakra itself has an affinity for certain elements on its own. My affinity, for instance, is Fire. Which means _**Katon**_ Jutsu are easier for me, while I have trouble with _**Suiton**_."

"Eh?" Naruto frowned a bit, tapping her chin. "But you used a _**Doton**_ , didn't you? To block those kunai..."

Kurenai took the chance to take over the conversation. "You can use Jutsu you don't have affinity for. Even though Anko has a harder time learning _**Suiton**_ Jutsu, she can still use them. It's just... harder." Naruto nodded in understanding.

"So that's what we're doing today?" Kurenai shook her head at the blonde's question.

"Not quite. First, I want you girls to toss a kunai at these posts." The Jounin moved to the side, pointing at the red dot painted on each post. "Aim for this point... Ino, you're on the left with Naruto on the center. Hinata, you're on the right."

The girls slowly, turning towards Anko as the purple haired Jounin snapped her fingers a few feet away from the posts. "Stand over here."

As the Genin lined up, pulling a kunai out of their pouches, Kurenai smiled to herself as she studied the way they held their kunai and prepared to throw.

Hinata held it in her right hand, putting the kunai against her left shoulder as she turned slightly to prepare to throw it.

Ino also held her kunai in her right hand, but unlike Hinata she seemed to tilt her body to the right. She seemed to be ready to flick it from her current position.

Kurenai resisted the urge to sigh as saw Naruto's "position", which was just her hands a bit in front of her sides and a slightly blank look on her face. She was also tossing the kunai back and forth between her hands, not seeming concerned with which hand to hold it in.

Anko snapped her fingers after observing the same thing as Kurenai. "Go!" She shouted out, grinning as each of the Genin snapped to throw their kunai.

Three loud _clunk_ sounds were heard as the kunai reached their targets, but each one hit the post at a different time.

Kurenai slowly observed the kunai positioned in relation to the red dots, smiling slightly to herself as she saw the results.

Ino's kunai was dead on the mark, but didn't go into the wood very far. Naruto's was deep into the wood, but only the bottom of the kunai had hit the red dot... and it seemed that only happened because of how deep the kunai itself went in. Hinata's didn't go in as far as Naruto's, but it was closer to the center than Naruto's was.

Kurenai nodded, reporting the observation to the girls. Ino had great aim, but little power. Naruto had great power, but not much aim. Hinata had the balance of the two, much to her embarrassment.

And with those findings, Kurenai and Anko were able to figure out exactly what to teach the girls.

"Alright, Ino. You get to train with me." Anko announced with a grin, holding up a pouch of senbon. "We'll be training with this. And you, Naru-Chan, will be training with a clone." Naruto nodded slightly, her head tilted as a clone of Anko formed beside her.

The clone smiled, ruffling Naruto's hair which caused the girl to squirm. "We'll be teaching you proper wire usage. Your aim isn't the best, but your clone technique makes that a moot point in some cases... But properly knowing where to use wires will be useful."

"Wires? So like... throwing kunai into places with wires to trip people?" At Anko's nod, or rather the clone's nod, Naruto's face lit up with a bright grin. "Sounds awesome! Let's go, Anko-Clone-Sensei!" The purple haired clone chuckled softly, letting Naruto lead her towards the tree line.

"You'll be with me, Hinata." Kurenai announced, watching the real Anko summon a training dummy for pressure points from a scroll for Ino. Hinata nodded, a curious expression on her face as she wondered what Kurenai would be teaching her.

"I'll be teaching you a mixture of what those two are learning.. But I'm also going to teach you how to properly redirect kunai and shuriken. Because of your Byakugan, you'll be able to see past cover... and if you can redirect kunai properly, then you'll be able to get people while they're hiding."

Hinata nodded in understanding, smiling at her teacher. She felt a little nervous that she would disappoint the woman, but the little Naruto in her head snapped at her to not give up before she even tried.

But it didn't stop her worry as she saw Kurenai's pained expression as the woman sighed.

"Is everything alright, Kurenai-Sensei?" The Hyuuga Heiress questioned, causing the woman to flinch slightly after being seen through so easily.

She shook her head slightly, figuring it was best to get it over with rather than dragging it out.

"No, nothing is wrong... But I was given this scroll by the Hokage." She pulled the scroll out again, but didn't offer it to Hinata as she did with Anko. "This scroll... goes over a loop hole in the system, made by the Shodaime years ago."

"A... loop hole?" Hinata repeated, tilting her head again.

Kurenai nodded, a slight frown on her face. "It's a way to get you out of doing what your clan orders you to do... If this is handled correctly, they would not be able to strip you of your heiress title _or_ place the seal on you unless the Hokage himself or I say you may return to the clan."

Hinata's eyes were wide at the news and she stumbled back once, shocked that such a loop hole would exist. "W.. What exactly does it include..?"

Kurenai opened the scroll, reading over it out loud to inform Hinata.

" _Konoha Clan Law #25: If a member of any clan that is bound to Konoha is at or below the rank of Chunin, then they are eligible for this. If it is thought that clan customs or clan members are causing the usefulness of the targeted clan member, a Ninja of Jounin rank or higher may begin this process._

 _The process is the removal of the clan member from clan 'traditions', 'customs', and any influence from the clan itself. If the member in question has a status, such as heir or heiress, they are to keep that title unless the Hokage gives the order to ignore it. The Jounin that starts the process will become the 'Guardian' of the member, until the Hokage or Jounin state that they are ready to move back into the clan._

 _However, to start the process, you must have the approval and signature of either the parent of the member, or the Hokage, or the clan head. The Jounin who signs it as well cannot be part of the clan or include the affected member in their own personal clan affairs._

 _In regards to the Hokage signing it, the affected clan member is not allowed to involve themselves with clan business. However, if the member is a heir or heiress, they are exempt from this rule. If the member's parents are deceased, and the Hokage is the only one who can sign it, then they are also exempt from this rule."_

A large signature of the Shodaime Hokage was also on the bottom of the scroll, but Kurenai had no need to read that. Instead, she looked up at Hinata, seeing the girl's shocked expression and smiled slightly. "I know, it's almost too perfect, isn't it?"

"I.. It is..." Hinata whispered softly, blushing a bit that her expression was read so easily.

"I questioned the Hokage about that myself." Kurenai admitted, sighing as she started to roll the scroll back up. "Apparently, someone back then had a very similar case to yours. They were being suffocated by the way their clan worked, and it nearly got their team killed, because the instructor they had was one of the Ninja's clan members."

She shook her head slightly, frowning as she recalled Hiruzen's explanation. "Apparently, the second the instructor saw the Ninja do something outside the clan's traditions, such as throwing a punch the wrong way, he would begin yelling and disrupting everything until the Ninja got it right."

"Eventually... It happened on a mission. The Ninja rolled to dodge an attack and was kicked hard by the instructor who saw it, starting to yell at his own student in the middle of a fight." The Jounin chuckled slightly, much to Hinata's confusion.

"Apparently, the enemy Ninja felt pity for the clan member being kicked around and killed the instructor, then ordered the others to let the rest of the team go." Hinata's eyes widened at such news, her hands grasping her jacket.

To be pitied by the enemy for weakness was one thing. It was usually related to the enemy's arrogance in some way. But to be pitied because they felt sorry for you putting up with your _instructor_ seemed... more insulting, some how.

Like they were passively insulting the village for such a thing.

"That's not all." Kurenai added, staring at Hinata's shocked expression still. "Apparently, after that instructor died, the clan member was held responsible for their death. It wasn't until so many people stood up for the clan member that the Shodaime reconsidered letting the clans keep painful traditions affecting the ones that it just didn't work out for."

Hinata gulped slightly, smiling a bit at the way the story turned out, but there was still one big question...

"W... Who was the clan member..?" She asked slowly, prompting Kurenai to smile brightly.

"Why, it was the Sandaime, of course."

* * *

 _ **An hour later...**_

"Alright girls!" Anko clapped, smiling as she stared down at the three panting Genin in front of her. Kurenai was off to the side, toying with a kunai "Now that you've finished that hour of training, it's time for the next. This time we're going to focus on your Jutsu and chakra control!"

The girls groaned slightly, causing Anko's smile to grow as she stared at the Genin.

They had worked the girls _hard_ and that was just over throwing things at targets. Kurenai had actually been heavily inspired by Naruto's "everything is training" line, and ended up mixing a bunch of the planned training sessions into one thing.

Ino, for instance, had been forced to run around the training dummy and throw senbon to hit the pressure points Anko had marked on it for her. She still missed a few, even with the marks, but Anko had to commend her accuracy over all and running around for an hour did wonders for her stamina.

Hinata had been forced to not only learn how to redirect shots by bouncing kunai and shuriken off each other, but to scan her surroundings completely to bounce them off trees and rocks as well. After getting the initial idea down, Kurenai made the girl run around the trees and hit specific targets without stopping. If she already hit a target, she had to hit it again if she passed by it a second time.

Naruto, however, had been given the most ruthless of the training as both Jounin knew her stamina levels were well above the other two. Possibly even above the Jounin, if they were being honest, but only on a good day.

The blonde had been forced to use a _**Kage Bunshin**_ to do some setting up quickly, putting in markings as Anko directed on the trees and told her to use any other location as she wished.

But after teaching Naruto how to properly have kunai with Ninja wire on them, which Anko had bought a lot of just in case, the purple haired Jounin pulled out her own kunai... and began to chase Naruto around the forest.

At first she had kept to the targets pre-set, but soon the two were running around the area with Anko avoiding almost all of the wire traps Naruto set up and engaging the girl in a Taijutsu battle. She always disengaged and told Naruto to focus on disengaging herself to put up more traps.

And now, an hour later from when they began, the three were panting in front of the two grinning Jounin and glaring a bit as Anko pulled out the three small pieces of paper out from earlier.

"Alright, I want you to each take one and channel your chakra into it. Depending on what it does will tell us what affinity you have. Naruto, you first." Anko announced, holding the papers out towards the blonde who slowly took one.

Concentrating for a moment, Naruto slowly pushed her chakra into the paper and jumped slightly as it split in half and the edges of the paper seemed to turn slightly damp as they fell to the ground. Anko whistled slightly while Naruto simply stared blankly at the pieces of paper now on the ground.

"What just happened?" Ino asked, voicing the question that the other two Genin had been thinking.

Kurenai chuckled softly as she stood beside Anko, smiling down at the three.

"Well, Naruto's major affinity is wind, which is why the paper got cut in half. It seems she has a minor affinity for water as well, but since only the edges became a little wet, it looks like it just started to develop."

Naruto smiled a bit at having two affinities, but got a thoughtful look on her face as she considered what Kurenai was saying. "But... didn't you say chakra only had one affinity?"

Kurenai shook her head slightly, closing her eyes a bit as she felt a slight urge to murder all of the teachers at the academy for leaving Naruto in the dark.

* * *

Iruka sneezed once, shaking his head a bit. _'I really need to stop visiting Mizuki in prison... Those bell flowers by the place really send my allergies everywhere.'_ The scarred Chunin shook his head, smiling as he knew he wouldn't stop visiting his friend because of a little sneeze.

 _'Alright, now where was I? I think I was going to send Naruto some of the notes she was kept from due to Baiasu...'_

* * *

Kurenai kept the murderous intentions to herself and decided to, instead, focus on Naruto's question.

"It's true that most sources of chakra only have one affinity, like Anko only having a fire affinity. But there are some cases where a bloodline or simply training a certain element enough can get you an affinity for that element as well. Bloodlines are the most common cause, however." Kurenai explained, gesturing towards Hinata.

"The Hyuuga, for example, typically have earth as their affinity. I have reason to believe that Hinata does _not_ have that affinity, which proves bloodlines do not set affinities in stone either... Though it is possible that _your_ blood as an Uzumaki gives you a slight water or wind affinity."

Naruto slowly nodded, opening her mouth to respond when Anko suddenly jumped forward again, holding a piece of paper out towards Hinata.

"Speaking of our little lavender girl... It's your turn!" Hinata blushed a little at 'lavender girl' but nodded and took one of the papers from the Snake Mistress.

In an instant, the paper practically _turned into_ water as Hinata's chakra flowed through it. Anko whistled again as Hinata dropped the paper in alarm and the Jounin chuckled softly.

"It seems you have an extremely strong water element, probably the strongest I've seen. Definitely not suited for the limited form of the Jyuken."

Hinata squirmed from Anko's blunt explanation, but slowly nodded in agreement. The Jyuken had been designed for _**Doton**_ users, because they, typically, relied on a strict, yet flexible movement. The movements were just too focused on getting from point A to point B with the Jyuken, focusing on shutting down the Tenketsu while moving around in a circle around their opponent, using their wide range to keep their opponent from reacting. But the style was too stiff once you actually learned the movements themselves.

This was mostly because of how the Hyuuga had figured out the best and 'fastest' way to shut down a body's Tenketsu to win a fight.

But a puzzle piece doesn't fit into every puzzle. Just like the Jyuken did not fit the style everyone had, and didn't work in every situation...

Though the Hyuuga would kill anyone who said their style had flaws.

Turning to the last member of Team 8, Anko held out the remaining piece of paper with a grin. "Your turn, Violet." Ino blushed slightly at the name, taking the paper.

"I'm going to change my outfit if you keep calling me that." Ino grumbled out, to which Anko simply rolled her eyes.

"You will not. You love flowers anyways. Now channel that chakra!" The Jounin ordered.

Sighing, the Yamanaka Heiress channeled her chakra into the paper and tilted her head as the edges of the paper seemed to wrinkle while the center started to turn into a black color as it burned from the center towards the edges.

"Something unique again." Kurenai remarked with a bit of awe in her voice. Deciding to explain what she meant before they asked, Kurenai quickly began to speak. "Ino's affinity is lightning and fire. Both are minor, but they compliment wind and water perfectly."

Naruto tilted her head to the side, crossing her arms. "Huh? How's that? Doesn't water put out fire? And wind does... something to lightning." She squirmed slightly at Kurenai's slightly twitching smile, but was glad the Jounin's irritation didn't seem to be directed at her.

The woman always glared towards the academy when she said something, for some reason.

It was Anko that answered, sensing her partner's growing irritation.

"Wind is weak against fire, because fire is strengthened by wind. That fireball I sent at you the other day could have been easily doubled in size with just a C-Rank _**Futon**_ Jutsu." Naruto's eyes widened at the revelation, but Anko wasn't done as she held her hand up with her other hand on her hip.

"Along with that, water is a natural conductor to lightning. A simple _**Suiton**_ Jutsu that gets an opponent wet can be turned into a deadly combination with a simple **_Raiton_** Jutsu. On the other hand, like you said, water puts out fire... and wind is a natural insulator for lightning, so a strong _**Futon**_ can weaken a **_Raiton_** considerably."

The three Genin were glancing at each other after Anko's explanation.

Naruto was the first to speak, a slight playful smile on her face. "So we're basically the most perfect team?" She offered, grinning as Anko rolled her eyes.

"You guys have good synergy, but we'll have to work on you actually working together. You have never actually fought together, after all." The purple haired Jounin smiled a bit as Ino opened her mouth to retort. "What you did against Kurenai doesn't count. Only Hinata was actually fighting."

Ino promptly closed her mouth.

"Now that we know your elements, we can start looking up Jutsu for you to learn and perhaps find a fighting style to compliment your element." Kurenai added, crossing her arms under her chest. "But we won't be doing that today, because we'll be doing chakra control exercises."

The woman turned, making a 'follow' gesture towards the three girls who hastily began to follow Kurenai to the tree line in the field. As they reached the trees, Kurenai pointed at them with her thumb.

"We'll be learning the tree walking exercise... including you, Hinata." The red eyed Jounin started, turning towards the trees again and walking towards them. Ino and Naruto watched in slight fascination as the woman simply walked up the tree, as if she was just walking on the ground.

She walked onto the top of a low branch, staring down at the girls with a smile. "The trick is to channel a constant flow of chakra to your feet. Too much and you'll fly off..."

"Too little and you fall?" Naruto added, having heard the explanation from Hinata earlier.

Kurenai smiled, nodding her head. "Yes, that's right. I want you girls to keep going at this until you can reach the top of one of these trees." Looking at Hinata, the woman added, "I know you have already trained with this, Hinata, but..."

Hinata shook her head, smiling a little. "I kn... know, Kurenai-Sensei. I n... need more training with it."

"Oh, Kurenai-Sensei!" Naruto suddenly shouted, getting the Jounin's attention rather easily. "Could I use my clones for this?"

Ino huffed, glaring at Naruto with a playful smile. "Oh sure Goldie, you'll use your clones for something like this, but not cleaning the monument!" The blonde Jinchuuriki just stuck her tongue out slightly at Ino in response.

Kurenai had jumped down during the exchange, a curious look on her face. "You can use clones for something like that? I do know you get the memories, but I didn't think it improved your chakra control any." Such a thing would make the _**Kage Bunshin**_ more useful than anyone had really realized.

"Oh! Well, it does and doesn't." Naruto rubbed the back of her head, thinking of how to explain. "I can read things and get the experience of reading them, and even practice seals in an order since I know how to do the seals normally... But..."

"But chakra control is a mix of mental and physical work." Anko finished, grinning a bit as she ruffled Naruto's hair from behind. "You can get the control part down mentally with your clones, but you can't improve how much chakra you have that way, huh?"

Naruto nodded, seeming to have gotten used to Anko randomly ruffling her hair.

"I see..." Kurenai rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I suppose it's fine for you to use clones, but you can't take your chakra amount for granted. While you have a lot compared to the other girls, there's no reason to stop improving yourself... So, I think it'd be best if you limited it to one or two clones for chakra control exercise."

"Hai, Sensei!" Naruto announced, placing her hands in a cross seal. As she was about to shout out the Jutsu, her fingers were suddenly grabbed by Anko from behind. The woman's chest, covered in fishnet, was pushing up against the blonde's head, making the girl blush heavily.

Anko grinned, feeling the heat off the girl's face, but purposely ignored her student's embarrassment. "Wait, wait~ Make more than two. I want to train a few too, plus you have that Uzumaki scroll, right~?" Naruto nodded with a heavy blush as Anko's chest rubbed against her head.

"I... I do, but..."

"Scroll?" Kurenai questioned, her eyebrow arched slightly while Ino and Hinata seemed to already be walking up the trees behind her.

Hinata managed to get about half way up the tree before starting to slide down, and Kurenai held her hand up, catching Ino by the back of her shirt as she flew off.

"T.. Thanks..." Ino muttered with wide eyes as Kurenai let go. _'It seems I've got to use way less chakra than I do with my hands... I didn't think it'd be that difficult.'_ Determination shined in her eyes as she walked back towards the trees. _'I'll get it though!'_

Kurenai smiled a bit back at the Yamanaka, and when she looked back at the other blonde, she found Naruto holding the Uzumaki scroll up. Kurenai gave the spiral 'lock' a curious look, but held her hand out towards Naruto.

Seeing the slightly nervous look on the Jinchuuriki's face, Kurenai felt anger bubbling in her stomach again, but pushed it down easily. "May I see what the scroll says, Naruto-Chan?" The woman asked softly, getting a hesitant nod from the girl.

Taking the scroll, Kurenai opened it up and arched her eyebrow slightly as she read through it. It seemed to have several _**Suiton**_ and _**Futon**_ Jutsu, along with a fighting style called _**Shaedo no Ken**_ ( _ **Shade Fist**_ ).

There was also a brief section about basic sealing methods, something even Kurenai did not know herself, but it seemed to go over the basic functions of sealing and where to start, nothing advanced like explosive seals or seals that involved some kind of element.

The woman handed the scroll back to its owner, nodding slightly.

"There are some good Jutsu in there, though that fighting style seems like a water style... Which I guess makes sense, if it was an Uzumaki style." The woman rubbed her chin thoughtfully before nodding slowly. "Alright, leave three clones to work on tree walking. One clone to start memorizing a Jutsu, and the real you can go practice Taijutsu with Anko."

"Yes!" Anko cheered, grinning and pulling the blushing blonde closer to her chest.

Naruto squirmed a bit, pocketing the scroll. "W... Well, isn't it a bit unfair for me to do training they're not?" Anko rolled her eyes at the blonde's timid question, pulling away from her but leaving her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Brat, everyone has advantages and disadvantages over someone else. You should use every advantage you have to get stronger... Besides, if you spend your days worrying about having more stuff than someone else, you'd never get anything done with what you have." The Jounin patted the girl's head, smiling.

"Not only that." Kurenai began to add, looking back at the two girls who were walking up the trees together now. "But Hinata and Ino both have a bit more education than you as it stands, because of their clans training them at an early age... While you learned most of what you know on your own. You still need to catch up in some aspects."

"I guess so..." Naruto muttered, shuffling slightly and nodding as she formed her cross seal.

" _ **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**_ "

* * *

 _ **AN: Chapter End! Important notes below, but first... Hope you enjoyed it and please leave any reviews / questions you have! I respond to a majority of reviews if that wasn't made obvious by previous comments! But now to actually go over something that someone pointed out to me in a review:**_

 _ **The most common "Hinata" fandom thing is that the Jyuken is too stiff for her to use correctly. A completely correct assessment and one I wish to point out here now that it has come up with her Suiton element being exposed. This is a slight copy and paste from my response to the person who asked this.**_

 _ **Jyuuken is, according to the wiki at least, based on Baguazhang: A fighting form that focuses on circular movement, focusing on circular walking and using their wide motion to attack before their opponents have a chance to react. The fighting form is meant for flexible people, but the Jyuken itself follows very strict and stiff movement because it isn't completely like the Baguazhang. While the principles are the same, the Jyuuken focuses on only one thing: Tenketsu points. While the attacking of this point can be varied in which ones you go after first, you /can't/ change where the points are, just like you can't change where vitals are. Exceptions to the rule exist, like Naruto having much larger ones for example, but overall the style screams about having very "point A to point B" movements. A Hyuuga could easily "fix" this by adding in other styles and just attacking the Tenketsu whenever they wanted, but Naruto and Neji's fight in Canon show that while Neji's attacks were very swift and struck hard, they were always very similar. It looks and feels like a very stiff fighting style.  
**_

 _ **Hopefully this'll dismiss any claims that the Jyuken is not a "flexible" style in the sense of how it is portrayed in Naruto. It's not a /bad/ style, by any means, but as I said above: It doesn't fit every situation and not everyone can do it.**_

 _ **Now the other fighting style shown in this chapter, Shaedo no Ken, is based on the entirety of Bruce Lee's "Jeet Kune Do." More of that will be covered in the next chapter. It's meant as a "Basis" for fighting, the basic movements, rather than a true style, but it still has several techniques put into it. That's all I'll say for now, for the sake of spoilers! But like the Jyuken, this fighting style will not be a mirror of the Jeet Kune Do at all. It merely shares the principles.**_

 _ **Now the last and probably the most "Really? This is so dumb" moment in this chapter: The "Loop hole" for Hinata and Kurenai. This is something I have always had a peeve with in regards to the Naruto series: Clan's absolute power. It was shown in the previous chapter that the councils are, as in most stories, not exactly the best. That's simply a fact of life, I feel, but a Ninja world is... different. It's ruled with force, but the First Hokage was not someone who did that. He wanted laws and rules for freedom without just violence, and seeing an enemy take pity on the teachings of his Ninja...**_

 _ **Well, it's like a kick in the teeth, you know? I feel that he wouldn't just let it keep happening, especially like that, but he also respected that traditions and clans needed their own rules, so he made it a choice instead. Some people born in any clan might not fit the rules in place, but they could still be great Ninja. There's no reason to waste that potential. That's my reasoning for the law existing.**_

 _ **Hopefully that won't come off as a Mary Sue-esk moment for anyone and it's not without its own issues, so it's not something that is just going to be the "perfect solution." The issue with that little thing will come up later... But anyways! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and sorry for the long notes!**_

 _ **Happy reading, and hopefully I'll reach my next milestone soon! 25 pages more!**_

 _ **~Yasha-HebiHime**_


	14. Water is Ice-Fish is Nice

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

 _ **AN: Milestone reached, so here's another. More info on some future stuff at the bottom!**_

* * *

Anko grinned to herself, throwing another kunai at the blonde in front of her who hastily dived out of the way. There were at least twenty kunai in the ground now and each one was buried slightly in the ground from the force that Anko threw them.

"Faster!" The woman shouted, shaking another kunai around threateningly. "The scroll said 'Be like water' not a snail! Go!" She ignored the angry glare the blonde gave her, grinning and twirling the the kunai around her finger as she read the scroll in her other hand.

The _**Shaedo no Ken**_ seemed to be based on using the body to its maximum potential. Speed was a huge aspect, but so was strength. " _Reach the target in the least amount of time, with the maximum amount of force"_ was what the scroll said as a summary for the style.

In a way, the style could be used for almost any other fighting style. It had no real 'form' to it, just a lot of tips. Such as countering attacks instead of simply dodging them. Parry and strike at the same exact moment, which required a lot of speed and power. The over all style just screamed 'Adapt!'

Which was all what water was about.

The style was almost the exact opposite of one of Anko's many styles, the one she had used against Naruto during the test before.

The _**Hebi Toru**_ style was all about wasted movement, after all, to make openings to bait people in. There were still controlled movements to make sure the bait didn't become threatening to the user...

Which made it very unsuitable for any Genin to learn. Anko had plenty of other styles, most of them focusing on a 'Snake' theme, but all of them were pretty complicated to start with. The _**Shaedo no Ken**_ was perfect, especially for water users, and Anko had to mentally applaud the Uzumaki's genius for making it an academy style.

It also made it perfect for _others_ to learn as well...

"Hey, Naru-Chan." Anko suddenly called out, causing the girl to look up but, as she leaned earlier, she did not pause in any of the fast motions she was going through. "I think this style would be a good basis for Nata, and maybe Violet. Think it'd be alright to teach them it too?" The Jounin smiled at Naruto's constant movement, having been prepared to throw a kunai if she paused for even a second.

The Jinchuuriki frowned thoughtfully, considering it. While the idea of someone else using a style meant for her clan filled her with the slightest bit of annoyance... It was her friends who were going to learn it. If it was Sasuke, that would be another thing, but Hinata or Ino...

"I... suppose it's okay." She slowly agreed, a slight frown on her face still as she voiced her thoughts. "As long as Sasuke-Teme or Ami-Teme don't learn it..."

Anko nodded in agreement, smiling. "Good! This style is great for a basis for most styles. I think Nata will benefit a lot from it. Not sure about Violet, but we'll see."

Naruto nodded slightly and squeaked as she ducked another kunai that flew over her head.

"Faster!"

The blonde nodded quickly, starting to go more through the forms of the style.

* * *

 _ **40 minutes later...**_

Once again the girls were in front of the two Jounin, panting heavily as they laid on their backs. Both Hinata and Naruto had removed their jackets, showing off Naruto's own black shirt while Hinata's gray top was revealed to the others.

Ino, not having an undershirt, kept her outfit on still but all three girls had a thick coating of sweat on their bodies, due to the 'Sadist Twins', as the three liked to call them now.

While tree walking had no sadistic qualities at first when they began, it was when they were able to reach the top of the tree three or four times in a row that the "real" training began.

Hinata, having already trained with it before, was the first target.

The poor girl was smiling at having gotten up and down the tree so easily compared to how she started, but was suddenly dodging kunai left and right as her red eyed instructor chucked them at her.

At Hinata's surprised cry and the way she backed up behind a tree, Kurenai had to pause in her throwing to state her intention.

" _Start running, Hinata. Because I'm going to chase you through the trees._ "

And she did. For over thirty minutes or so, the woman chased Hinata through the trees, but never quite hit her with kunai. Palm strikes, however, were given from time to time and Hinata had to learn quickly how to instinctively turn and land on trees with her feet whenever she was knocked off one.

Ino was the next target, though she had been reluctant to even finish the exercise after seeing Hinata's sudden 'test.' But she knew if she failed on purpose that her own test would be even more brutal.

Ino had been attacked by one of Kurenai's clones, who didn't even need to explain why since Ino had overheard Hinata being attacked, but the clone had instructed Ino to stick to tree branches completely.

Since she didn't have the advantage of knowing the area around her as well as Hinata did, due to the Byakugan, the Jounin had told her to learn to observe the area around her as she moved. Which led to the clone suddenly yelling at Ino, asking her how many branches she had jumped off of since they reached the trees.

On a right answer, the kunai throwing would pause briefly and the clone told her she was correct.

On a wrong answer, Ino suddenly found herself been wrapped up by a thick snake or, even worse in her opinion, was knocked off into a mud pit.

Both were just Genjutsu, but the impression was there as Ino knew Anko could actually _summon_ a snake like that for Kurenai, and she had noticed a few pits full of mud as she ran. The Yamanaka knew for sure that, in future sessions, those 'wrong answers' would get more than a Genjutsu.

But once again it was Naruto who had the worst of it, and she was the only one sporting an actual cut on her outfit which was just on her knee, splitting the pants leg slightly.

The cut on her skin had healed very quickly, but neither Ino or Hinata had been around to see that, so it was believed the cut had just barely cut open the fabric.

The blonde's clones had been dispelling themselves to pass on knowledge to other clones, to improve their tree walking, and it was after one clone managed to do what the other two did that the real Naruto suddenly found herself deep into the forest as well.

But unlike the other girls who were only tossed around or had things tossed _at_ them, Naruto had been forced to get into an actual fight with Anko on the trees.

The battle, like the last two, was pretty even, but any time Naruto would make a wasted movement, she'd be sent flying through the trees from a heavy punch.

Despite the fact that all of them had been punished at least once during their training, Anko and Kurenai were staring proudly down at the Genin with smiles on their faces. Neither of them had expected such hard work just the second day of being a team.

Anko herself had not expected to be impressed at all with the Genin, something she had told the Hokage to his face awhile ago. She wasn't easy to impress, but learning tree walking in a day and not having any complaints about the hard training … Well, mostly no complaints.

Ino sort of complained a lot, but it seemed to be her coping mechanism.

Which is what she was doing now as she groaned on the ground, her eyes staring blankly up at the sky.

"I can't... feel my legs." The girl groaned out slowly.

"That's because I hit you with a couple of senbon." Was Kurenai's simple reply, prompting another loud groan from the fallen girl. The woman chuckled slightly, shaking her head slightly. "It should wear off in just a moment."

"It better..."

"At any rate, you girls did a great job today." The woman started again, smiling as she pulled a scroll out from her pouch. Slowly, Kurenai began to unwrap it, smiling as she noticed the happy smiles on the tired girls. "We're going to eat a bit and rest, then we're going to do one last training session before we send you girls home."

"Food?" Naruto shot up, her fatigue completely gone at the idea of food. Hinata also began to sit up as Kurenai unsealed a set of bento boxes again, chuckling a bit as she handed the boxes out.

She simply put one on top of Ino's lap, as the girl had not gotten back up, but her eyes were open and alert to show she was still awake. The poor girl just couldn't bring up the effort to sit up, even with the hot meal on her lap.

Naruto and Hinata had no qualms about popping the bentos open and quickly starting to eat, not even waiting for the older women to open their own. Anko and Kurenai chuckled a bit, sitting on their knees beside the girls as they began to eat.

But Kurenai did not take more than two bites before she began to speak again.

"Girls... I have something to discuss with you. It's fairly important." Naruto and Hinata looked up curiously, though the lavender eyed heiress had a slightly resigned look to her face. Ino simply turned her head in the grass, but the girl was just starting to sit up.

Kurenai shuffled slightly, not quite sure how to start. _'Well, I guess I'll just be as blunt as possible.'_ The woman thought to herself with a slight smirk.

"To put it simply, Hinata and Ino, I am going to ask you two to go through with a certain policy that will allow you to live mostly on your own instead of within your clan." Hinata had already been informed of this, but Ino's eyes widened in surprise.

"W.. What? Leave my clan? I can't..." Ino sputtered, but stopped as Kurenai held out a scroll towards her.

"This goes over, specifically, what I mean. Read that before you decide." Ino frowned a bit, taking it slowly and starting to unroll it to read it.

Naruto frowned a bit, nibbling on a piece of dango once more. "Mmn... What does that have to do with me though, Kurenai-Sensei?" The Jounin smiled a bit nervously at the blonde's question, scratching slightly at her own cheek.

"Well... My own home does not allow multiple people to live inside it, due to my land lord. Even pets aren't allowed." The Genjutsu Mistress sighed slightly, a faint blush coming to her cheeks as she realized she was actually going to ask her own _student_ for a place to live.

Anko rolled her eyes, picking at her teeth with a dango stick as she interrupted the conversation. "Nainai wants a room for herself, one for Nata, and one for Violet. Got it, Naru-Chan?" The Tokubetsu Jounin grinned a bit as Kurenai glared at her with a slight pout, while Naruto just blinked blankly.

Hinata, however, had the strongest reaction as her face lit up in a dark blush at the idea of having Naruto as her land lord... and living in the same _house_. Her eyes began to spin slightly as images went through her head.

 _'Waking up at the same time as Naruto-Chan... Eating breakfast... with Naruto-Chan..!'_ A stray thought pointed out that Ino, Anko, and Kurenai would also be there, but then a darker blush covered her face as an image of her sleeping _beside_ Naruto flashed in her mind.

The group jumped slightly as Hinata suddenly fell onto her back, her eyes spinning and a happy smile on her face.

"H... Hinata-Chan!?" Naruto cried out in concern, putting her bento to the side as she hastily went to the girl's side. Ino just rolled her eyes slightly at the sight, having gotten pretty used to it while Anko sent Kurenai a 'Told you so' look. Kurenai just glared slightly, shaking her head.

Ino, deciding to simply ignore the concerned cries of Naruto beside her, held up the scroll towards Kurenai as she finished reading it. Kurenai nodded, accepting the scroll back and sliding it into her pocket. "What do you think, Ino?"

The platinum blonde squirmed slightly, frowning a bit. "I'm not sure. I don't have any problem with my clan or anything..."

"That isn't the point, Violet." Anko interrupted, smiling a bit at the girl's annoyed expression. "The point is to give you a bit of experience on living … mostly on your own. Not only that, but it'll let you get more used to your team, which is important..."

Kurenai chose that moment to put in her own two cents. "The major thing, however, is that you won't be declined from your clan for techniques... But we won't be limited in what we teach you ourselves."

"I don't think my dad would keep you guys from teaching me something." Ino frowned a bit as Anko shook her head, a grin on her face.

"Your dad, maybe. Inoichi knows what it's like to be a Ninja. But the old farts that he talks to..?" Ino nodded slightly at that, having some experience with the old men that made up the Yamanaka council.

All of the clans in the village organized themselves by a small council of people that handled most of the choices. It was typically six or so, with one of them always being the 'Clan Head' which was, in this case, Ino's father. The Clan Head was responsible for most of the dealings in the clan and had the say over almost anything, though they were not all powerful in their clan.

Even more so, they were not powerful alone in the council that regarded all of Konoha. Only Clan Heads and selected representatives were allowed on the Konoha Council, with the 'Hokage' being at the 'Clan Head' position. The Konoha Council was also larger, since there were more than six clans in Konoha, but a few of their seats such as the Uchiha seat remained empty.

The problem with most councils in Konoha, including the main one, is that they were filled with old men and women that had long since stopped involving themselves with others. They merely desired power and to leave a legacy behind, which often led to awful laws or rules being passed.

Ino, for example, was expected to be married off, despite being an heiress, around her sixteenth birthday if she didn't get Jounin rank or higher by then. Even then it was highly possible she'd be married off to someone the council members knew so they could put their own choice as the future clan head. There were also some warnings to not associate with other clans... But she ignored those entirely.

Hinata had the worst of it, as the entire Hyuuga clan had been ruthlessly brought into a 'main' and 'branch house' system for years due to the men currently on their council. Not only that, but Hinata herself had nearly been branded with a 'Caged Bird Seal' that would render her a slave of the main house. It was only her age and how handily she won any duels that came to her that kept her from losing her position as heiress.

Naruto, having no clan alive, had no council to deal with. Thus, she had no idea what the others were talking about as she held the fainted Hinata, fanning her slightly with the girl's head resting on her lap.

Ino sighed a bit, staring at her bento for a long moment as she considered her choices. On one hand, she'd be away from her father... which would be a blessing and a curse. He always treated her like a child, and probably always would, but she had always wanted to 'spread her wings' so to speak...

But the main issue was what would happen _after_ she got older. Even if she stayed at home, being married to someone she didn't know was a huge issue that her father couldn't stop on his own...

"How long does it last?" The Yamanaka asked with a frown, picking a bit at her food.

Kurenai blinked at the sudden question, frowning slightly. "It does not say there is a time limit. It only says that either I or the Hokage are required to stop it. I assume it can last until one of us gives the order... Or the next Hokage, if it lasts that long." The woman shrugged slightly, but had a curious expression as she wondered why Ino would ask such a question.

"I see..." Ino frowned a bit and nodded slightly. "Then, if it can last that long, then I'll accept it... But I don't know if Daddy will go for it..."

"We'll handle that." Kurenai stated, getting a bewildered look from Anko rather quickly.

"We?"

"Yes, we. The Hokage warned me that a Jounin can only do it with _one_ person... And since we're both Jounin..." Kurenai stared at her partner who sighed, rubbing the back of her head.

"Fine, fine. I'll take..."

"You're taking Inoichi." Was the instant interruption and Anko frowned slightly, though Kurenai knew she was just pouting. "You're more familiar with the man than I am, and..." Those red eyes narrowed slightly at the woman, a faint bit of amusement in them. "I can't trust you with Hiashi."

Anko just stuck her tongue out a bit at that, unable to argue that she planned on messing with the man.

"Uhm... Sensei?" Naruto's soft voice brought their attention to the blonde and she squirmed slightly, looking down at Hinata briefly. "She's uh... not waking up."

Anko grinned, staring at the two with a sparkle in her eyes. "Oh, she'll be fine. She just has a really bad case of..." Anko grunted, feeling Kurenai's elbow go into her gut.

Ino rolled her eyes a bit with a smile at the exchange, while Naruto just blinked blankly, her head tilting. "A bad case of...?"

"... Ah, she just trained a little too hard, that's all Naruto." Kurenai hastily answered, smiling a bit. "Just let her rest for now."

Naruto slowly nodded, running her fingers through the unconscious girl's hair...

Which got rather amused smiles from the other women present, while Hinata herself just smiled warmly.

* * *

 _ **30 minutes later..**_

The sun was beginning to go down as the three Genin stared at the two Jounin standing in front of them with a mixture of annoyance, surprise, and embarrassment. The latter of which was reserved for Hinata, who had nearly fainted again after finding herself not only waking up with her head on Naruto's lap, but with the target of her affection running her fingers through Hinata's hair.

Which got her a lot of teasing looks from Anko and Ino, but neither of them said anything directly to her... which some how only added to her embarrassment.

Now, however, Ino was doing anything but having an amused look as she held a kunai up for the third time in the last fifteen minutes. The Genin had been forced to do one last training session before they were allowed to return home...

The training, however, was a test to see how well they worked together in a battle.

" _It'll be easy!"_ Naruto had said, smiling brightly after hearing the 'rules', which was simply to try to land hits on Anko or Kurenai. _"We're best friends, so there's no way we'll fail!"_

The blonde then proceeded to get into another fight with Anko, with Hinata close behind. The two were then tossed to the side, right into Ino who had moved to get into position to throw senbon.

After a second attempt, Naruto had to dive out of the way as Ino tossed a kunai, which resulted in a slightly heated argument that was resolved as Anko kicked Hinata into the two. Anko had scolded the two heavily for not only leaving Hinata alone while they fought, but for only targeting her.

That had been the only warning they got before a giant plant wrapped its thick vines around each of the girls, juggling them around in the air for a good two minutes before the three ended up nearly passing out from the strain.

The third, and current, attempt was going a lot better after a brief discussion between the three on what to do. Naruto had been the one to decide the plan, after Hinata and Ino both gave their observations on what to do and what they _could_ do.

" _Alright..."_ Naruto had started, whispering so the two Jounin a bit behind her could not hear. _"Ino's clan Jutsu doesn't work on those two, and none of us know any ranged Jutsu... So Ino-Chan, you're on support. Hinata-Chan, you can see through Genjutsu, so you're on Kurenai-Sensei. I've got the most experience against Anko-Sensei, so I'll take her on... But I'll need Ino-Chan's help to actually beat her."_

The plan had gone rather well at first, getting a proud look from Kurenai while Anko simply grinned.

Naruto had engaged Anko, while Kurenai had been attacked by Hinata with Ino supporting them both. Neither Jounin really tried to go for the Yamanaka, but any time they 'pretended' to, they'd end up being under an even heavier attack from their opponents.

However, suddenly the Jounin had swapped places with Kurenai slamming her palm into Naruto and Anko landing a heavy kick onto Hinata's stomach. The two attacks sent the girls sliding back beside Ino with the force behind them, which is where they stood now.

Kurenai smiled at the three, crossing her arms under her chest. "You three did well to fix your flaws, but there was still two flaws in your plan." The woman held up one finger. "The first is that neither Hinata or Naruto tried to help each other in any way. While your opponent was not one you should take your eye off of, you should still try to alert the other to anything the opponents may try."

"For example." The woman gestured towards Hinata. "Hinata, with your Byakugan, you see even their fight from where we were... But you made no attempt to tell Naruto of the few times Anko got behind her and got hit." Hinata blushed slightly, nodding her head. She had been too distracted focusing on Genjutsu from Kurenai for that.

Anko put up two fingers, deciding to take over the lesson. "The second think is that you didn't think of what would happen if your opponents swapped and it threw you off. You've got to be prepared for that, and even do it yourself. If a teammate would fair better against someone than you would, then don't be ashamed to swap battles with them."

"We each have our strengths and weaknesses." Kurenai added, smiling at her students."But for your first day, you three have done wonderfully. I think we'll be calling it a day here... But Anko and I will be going to discuss things with Inoichi and Hiashi. Hinata, be sure to pack your things regardless of what your father says." Hinata hesitantly nodded in response, chewing a bit on her lip.

Kurenai tried to give her a comforting smile while Anko gave Ino a thumbs up. "I'll talk to your pops. Just go ahead and pack anyways, since I know exactly how to make him agree." Ino's face scrunched up a bit in confusion at that, but Anko ignored it as she regarded Naruto with a smile. "You get these three some rooms ready, okay?"

Naruto nodded, pushing up a pair of glasses that weren't there. "I already have a clone ready with the paper work. It just needs the signatures." The blonde explained, smiling a bit.

"I thought you said the clones didn't get memories from this far." Anko pointed out with her eyebrow arched.

"They don't, so I sent a clone out towards the house and had it dispel there so they got the info." Anko nodded slightly in understanding, turning her gaze towards Ino again.

"Well, girls, training session over. We'll be meeting at the same time tomorrow for even more training... Now, split!" The woman clapped her hands together and the girls nodded, each going their separate ways...

For the most part, at least.

* * *

Kurenai calmly sipped a cup of tea, staring a bit at the green liquid instead of at the cold grayish eyes of the man who sat across the small table between them. They both sat on their knees on small square cushions in a small room that seemed to simply be a room made for meeting a single person, as it had very little other than the table inside it.

A scroll rested beside the man's tea cup, which had a faint line of steam coming off it as he had not bothered to drink from it after reading through the scroll.

The man was Hiashi Hyuuga, the head of the Hyuuga clan... and the father of Hinata and Hanabi Hyuuga. He was known as one of the most powerful Hyuuga ever born, well above the Jounin rank he had before taking the title of Clan Head. But while he was very powerful, he had very little control over the Hyuuga clan as a whole, due to the bias of the Hyuuga's council members.

The man was also known for showing almost no emotion, due to the training from the Hyuuga, unless he was around someone he trusted...

Or just someone who could _really_ get under his skin.

As it was, the man had no expression on his face, but Kurenai could _feel_ the irritation coming off him in small waves. Kurenai, wisely, kept quiet as she waited for him to speak and absorb all that the scroll said.

Which took a few moments, letting Kurenai enjoy the tea one of the Hyuuga maids cooked up for them.

"I am... struggling to understand." The Hyuuga Head admitted, staring towards the Jounin with a frown on his face. "To understand what exactly you are hoping to achieve with this, Kurenai-San."

Kurenai placed her cup down, holding it with both hands as she stared directly into the man's eyes, a sign of respect and a sign that she was not here as a servant, but as an equal.

"I am hoping, Hiashi-Sama, to find a way to improve my student without... unnecessary interruptions from some outside interference." Hiashi arched his eyebrow at the slight annoyed tone to Kurenai's voice, and the man let out a slight sigh.

"I see... I had, originally, put my daughter under your care in order to avoid such conflict. I suppose it was foolish to assume you would not put your interests where they do not belong." Hiashi said, sounding like he was talking down to a child.

A hard, yet quiet tap was heard as Kurenai put her cup down again and Hiashi hid a small smirk to himself as he stared at Kurenai's impassive face. Despite the calm look about her, it was still evident she was very irritated by the man's words, and originally that was what drew him to the woman in the first place during the Jounin exam he had been a judge over.

Any time she was taunted, or struck, she showed no emotion to it. She did not let her emotions control her battle, until her teammate had been struck down... Then she was like a tornado of fury, the likes of which had not been seen for quite awhile.

Hiashi knew that if he had not been using his Byakugan, even he would have fallen to the torrent of Genjutsu and powerful attacks the woman had let out... and he wasn't even participating in the fight!

It was that attitude that he wished to be carried over to his rather meek daughter. The girl was always showing her emotions clear on her face, and shrunk inward when pressured... Or at least she used to. It did seem that the woman's presence had helped his daughter quite a bit, but he wondered if the idea of caring for Hinata had got to the woman's head.

As if reading his mind on that matter, Kurenai spoke. "I do not think of Hinata as my own daughter, Hiashi-Sama. I do care for her greatly, but I know that she is, first and foremost, a Hyuuga. However, as a Jounin of Konoha and Hinata's instructor, I cannot allow her to be crippled in the battle field because of some pointless traditions." Kurenai's words were like chilled water to Hiashi's ears.

Smooth, yet cold.

Hiashi's own words... were merely ice. "I understand your concern, but the Hyuuga traditions are not... pointless. They each have their own usage and keep the clan balanced in power. Hinata's failures to..." A sudden click was heard and Hiashi turned his head slightly towards the door of the small room they sat in.

A small girl with dark gray hair was standing in the door way, bowing her head respectfully towards the two. "Hiashi-Sama, I apologize for the interruption but I was told to inform you that the Elders are not located in the building. They have taken three branch members with them to _The Jarring Ape._ "

Hiashi nodded his head, mentally going over what that location was. As far as he could recall, the _Jarring Ape_ was merely a bar that mixed to be a brothel in the darker side of Konoha.

Not exactly a place you would expect to find a Hyuuga member, but it wasn't a place you'd expect to find anyone, really. No one you actually would _want_ to find, at least.

"Thank you, Mitomi. You are dismissed." Hiashi spoke, receiving a sharp bow from the woman as she slid the door closed. Kurenai arched her eyebrows as Hiashi's turned towards her again, the slightest smile on his face, which was a bit unnerving for the woman. "It seems that luck has smiled upon us, Kurenai-San."

The red eyed Jounin blinked once at that, a confused frown on her face. "I am not sure I follow what you mean, Hiashi-Sama."

The man sighed a bit, taking a small sip of his tea. "In truth, I have no qualms about signing this transcript. But if I did not put up a fight at all, the Elders would have my head for making the Hyuuga appear weak." At her slightly horrified expression, the man hastily added. "Not literally, just politically."

"That's... almost as bad, in some cases." Kurenai pointed out, getting a slight chuckle from the man.

"I suppose so... But now that we may speak freely, I wish to know what exactly the issue is beyond traditions. Is there anything wrong with my daughter's body?" A slight touch of concern laced the man's voice as he spoke, greatly improving Kurenai's opinion of the man.

So she quickly responded in order to put his fears to rest. "No, there is nothing wrong with Hinata's body as a regular person, but as a Hyuuga..." She shook her head slightly. "The chakra affinity we found for her is Water, making the Jyuken too much of a tight style for her to master."

Hiashi leaned back slightly, a slight frown on his face as he nodded. "I see, I had expected as much. The way she moved had always been rather... stiff, even if she hid it well." He shook his head. "But I am glad that there is not anything particularly wrong with her." The man admitted with a slight smile.

Kurenai frowned a bit, shuffling slightly on her knees. "I am afraid I must ask you, Hiashi-Sama, why your personality seems to be..."

"Different than what I usually appear to be?" Kurenai nodded slightly, causing Hiashi to sigh a bit with a small, yet sad smile. "The truth is that I am as much of a slave to the Hyuuga as the branch members, though only a few of them agree. I have taken oaths and my own father breathes down my neck if I do not follow the long traditions the Hyuuga have placed."

He shook his head, staring down at the tea he held in his hands. "If I were to simply drop all precautions and allow myself to speak my mind, the... _Elders_ would do everything in their power to defeat me. I suspect they would even hold my nephew, Neji, hostage or place a bird seal on my daughter's head... Both of them."

Kurenai frowned, wondering how and why the Hyuuga clan had became so... corrupt. A small part of her wondered if _all_ councils were like that but dismissed it. It wasn't her business to get involved in something that big... nor did she even think she could handle something like that in the first place.

"I see... I am sorry to hear that something like that takes place. But I suppose that means you are fine with my suggestion to use this rule to keep Hinata from being influenced by the clan?" _'Best to keep on track.'_ Kurenai thought to herself, though she couldn't keep the bit of discomfort in the back of her mind completely suppressed.

Hiashi nodded slightly, appreciating her words. "Indeed, I am willing to sign this and allow you to be placed as her guardian... Although, I must ask what you intend to do about living conditions, as I was under the assumption you were only allowed to live on your own in your current home."

The Hyuuga Clan Head sipped his tea as Kurenai answered with a slightly amused smile on her face. "Well, that is indeed the case... But my other student has an apartment complex under her name... With several rooms. Hinata and I will both be buying one."

Hiashi arched his eyebrows at that, mentally reviewing who was in Hinata's team. "You mean... The Uzumaki child?" He chuckled slightly as Kurenai nodded with an amused smile and he shook his head slightly. "I see... It seems I owe that child two favors now."

"Two?" The woman arched her eyebrow slightly.

Hiashi nodded, a slight smile on his face. "I do not know the exact story, but it seems that Hinata was able to keep her status as heiress by some... talk she had with the Uzumaki child before she fought Hanabi, my other daughter, for the last time." Kurenai nodded slightly at the Hyuuga's explanation, but could not keep the frown off her face.

Hinata had a younger sister named Hanabi, a girl who Hinata had told Kurenai looked so much like their mother, whom she could never raise a hand to. Kurenai herself could not see it, but it caused an issue as the girls were forced to fight for the title of 'Hyuuga Heiress.'

They had fought a total of five times, over the span of several years, with four slow victories from Hanabi... and one fast victory from Hinata. The red eyed Jounin was not privy to what exactly happened, since it was a clan matter, but Hinata had told her she was going to keep her heiress title and that her sister would only be in danger if the laws did not change before the girl reached the age of sixteen.

At sixteen, the girl would be forced to wear the 'Caged Bird Seal' despite still being a member of the main house, simply because she was viewed as weak.

 _'It's astounding, really, that the Hyuuga's main house is made of nothing more than a bunch of old men... It's doubtful they would even meet half of the rules Hinata and Hiashi have told me about.'_ Kurenai thought to herself, her inward frown growing larger. _'Is this really how clans work..?'_

She hoped not, but wasn't holding her breath.

"At any rate..." Hiashi began, looking back down at the scroll he left laying on the table. "Where do I sign this, Kurenai-San?" At the slight gesture from Kurenai on where to write, Hiashi nodded as he began to sign his name.

After it was signed, he rolled the scroll up and held it out to Kurenai who accepted it with a nod. "Thank you, Hiashi-Sama. I will make sure Hinata grows into a fine Kunoichi." Kurenai smiled as she began to stand up, which was mirrored by Hiashi as he nodded with a smile.

"I shall leave her in your care, Kurenai-San... And I will be sending several scrolls containing Hyuuga techniques to you soon. I am certain you can find a usage for them, despite them not suiting my daughter." Kurenai nodded, turning to leave.

"Good day, Hiashi-Sama."

Hiashi nodded, crossing his arms. "Good day, Kurenai-San."

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

Hinata smiled sadly to herself as she placed a picture of her mother and father into a small bag full of her clothing. The girl giggled to herself, placing another picture into the bag that she took with Naruto, Ino, and Sakura in front of the academy.

Naruto had her fingers up behind Sakura's head from the girl's right and Ino was hanging onto the pinkette's left arm and grinning, while Hinata was on Naruto's other side, smiling shyly at the camera. It was one of the few pictures the four had together, as they never really got together outside of the school.

 _'I suppose that isn't true...'_ Hinata thought to herself, placing one of her medical creams into the bag as well. _'I spent time with Naruto-Chan outside of the academy, and Ino-Chan spent time with Sakura-Chan... Though I suppose only Sakura-Chan is alone now... I hope she's alright.'_

The pink haired girl had always been rather fragile. She didn't react well if she did not have friends around, so the Hyuuga Heiress hoped that Shino and Chouji were friendly to her.

 _'Though, if they follow Naruto-Chan's advice... then Sakura-Chan is probably pretty annoyed with them.'_ Hinata giggled to herself, but turned her head as she heard her door click open. Her smile grew as she saw her younger sister standing there, a slight frown on her face. "Yes, Hanabi-Chan?"

Hanabi squirmed a bit from such a warm greeting, a slight out pout on her face as she walked up to the older Hyuuga. "Onee-Chan... Are you really leaving?" Her voice was soft, yet slightly cold as their father's own voice, but it was the warmth in her eyes that melted Hinata's heart.

The girl smiled at Hanabi, kneeling down as the girl got closer and running her fingers gently through the girl's smooth hair. "Yes, Nee-Chan., I am going to be leaving for awhile... But I'll still be around."

"B... But I don't want to be alone..." Hanabi muttered, causing Hinata's smile to faulter slightly as she realized that Hanabi would truly be alone in the clan if she left... Despite the duels they had in the past, the two sisters were still very close, and leaving Hanabi alone put a pain in Hinata's chest.

But... "I'm sorry, Hanabi-Chan... I'll be sure to come visit, but..." She frowned as Hanabi bit her lip and tried to go through her head on what else she could do for her younger sister. As if summoned, a small Naruto in her head held up the picture of her and her three friends at the academy, the same one she had just put away in her bag.

Her eyes widened slightly and she wondered, briefly, if her idea would even go over well with her father... _'No reason not to try, I suppose.'_ Hinata thought, smiling as she gripped her sister's shoulders.

"Hanabi-Chan, I want you to listen to me." Hanabi blinked, looking up at her sister's warm smile. "I want you to tell father that I suggest putting you into the academy... by next year, alright? It will be some time before you can be a Ninja like me... But you'll find friends there. Friends you can trust." Hanabi blinked, nodding a bit while Hinata marveled to herself that she managed to say all of that without stuttering.

Why did she never stutter when it was just her sister around? Perhaps it was how calming it was to see her mother's eyes once more...

A mental kick from 'her' tiny Naruto got the Hyuuga Heiress off that thought process and she began to stand up straight and fill her bag up again with the rest of her belongings. "I won't be gone forever, Hanabi-Chan, and you're free to visit me. Father should know where my home will be..."

Hanabi nodded a bit, smiling slightly as she moved beside her sister, helping the Heiress fold some of the clothing spread across her bed.

Neither of them really noticed the cold gaze of their cousin from the still opened door.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile, at the Yamanaka Mansion...**_

Inoichi groaned, staring at the cards in his hands and sighing as he slapped them down on the table. "Fine! I fold! You win! I'll sign whatever it is you want!" The man groaned out loudly, blushing as he was almost completely naked at the table he sat at.

Anko grinned, being completely dressed in her usual outfit with her own cards in her hands.

"Good! Then it looks like your Princess is _mine_!" She cackled evilly, throwing her head back as Inoichi grit his teeth slightly, mentally scolding himself for losing so easily...

Especially in a game of Go-Fish!

* * *

 _ **Chapter End!**_

 _ **Some may be wondering about the flip in Hiashi's personality and more are probably questioning not much effort being put into Inoichi's choice. The former will actually be covered soon in a planned Extra! Look forward to that within the next few days!**_

 _ **As for Inoichi, Anko is actually a former worker for him, thus making her someone Inoichi can trust. Not only that, but he hadn't been seeing much of his daughter anyways as their time didn't meet up. Might focus on that in an extra / omake or something later!**_

 _ **Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter!**_

 _ **Happy reading!**_

 _ **~Yasha-HebiHime**_


	15. Extra: Lamenting Darkness

_**Extra Chapter AN:**_

 _ **The following chapter was meant to be placed at the end of several chapters, but when written I decided that it was too big and too connected to not be placed in a single chapter of its own. All of these events take place some time after Chapter 14: Water is Ice-Fish is Nice**_

 _ **They technically**_ **_occur during a transition of time in Chapter 15, (which won't be out when this is out, but you'll know when the time transitions)but I decided to include it after 14 since the needed information was there anyways. These events are Canon in my story, thus not being an 'omake' or whatever, but were not part of the original chapters themselves. Thus, this will not be listed as an official chapter to the story, but merely an "Extra."_**

 _ **Lastly, in regards to this extra specifically, you'll notice a different type of writing in some parts. More of that on the bottom.**_

 _ **I will possibly be including extras in the future to explain a few things of future events, but this will possibly be the only "extra chapter", so to speak.**_

 _ **Notes about Chapter 14: Hinata/Hanabi's interaction. Two people stated that "Nee-chan" was incorrect, though I still have several things saying that "Nee-Chan" merely means sister and "Onee" is Older Sister. But if it bothers people, I'll go back and change it. Not a big deal overall.**_

 _ **To Heika: I can't respond to guests through messages, but it was intentional that Hinata described Hanabi to look like their mother to Kurenai, when she actually looks like their father. The description after that bit says that does say "Kurenai herself could not see it." Hanabi does, however, have their mother's eyes which is what Hinata focuses on.**_

 _ **Anyways, enough ranting.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

 _ **Tales of the Kunoichi Extra: The Mind and Events of Hiashi Hyuuga**_

Hiashi Hyuuga was, to put it simply, a man wishing to be a man. To that end, he would do anything to become one. Since his birth, there had always been a pressure put upon him, made apparent just by the slightest difference in time between his own creation and his brother's. Those few _precious_ moments had resulted in his own brother being branded by his clansmen as worthless, despite the two showing equal skill in regards to the Hyuuga Jyuken. After all, a baby could only slap so hard.

But even though Hiashi's brother, Hizashi, had been branded worthless and had quietly accepted his fate as one of the "branch" members of the Hyuuga... Hiashi was slightly jealous of his brother. It was true, Hizashi was just a servant in a lot of ways, and in his final years had shown nothing but bitterness that his own son, Neji, had been put into the same position... But Hizashi had merely been a man looking up at the castle of Hyuuga, wishing he could sit in the throne, yet not knowing the seat was covered in sharp needles.

Hiashi had no true freedom anymore, not since his father had stepped down to take a place as "adviser for the Clan Head." The same man who claimed that his own son was useless was trying to give the other "advice." It was advice Hiashi could do without, but could not refuse without getting the wrath of his father down upon him. And even though he was the Clan Head now, Hiashi Hyuuga was still Daun's son. A son that owed his father several favors.

It was only in regards to his children that Hiashi had ever gained anything over his father, possibly out of respect of his late wife. While some elders had insisted on Hanabi receiving the Curse Seal the instant she was born, the death of Hiashi's wife caused the choice to be put on hold. When it was brought up again, Hiashi refused and Daun agreed with him, at the claim that Hanabi and Hinata would have to fight over the title of Heiress over the coming years. Hiashi still thought the only reason his father agreed was because of Hinata's apparent lack of interest in the Jyuken style, but he was never quite certain, and now it seemed Hinata would remain Heiress the rest of her life, unless Hanabi came back to claim the title.

The idea of either daughter being put in the branch house distressed Hiashi more than he would let anyone know, and even now he regretted allowing Neji to have such a thing done to him. He had been powerless to stop it, something Hizashi had never understood, and wished he could go back to fix it. But, as it was already said, Hiashi had no true freedom, not much more than any of the branch members. The only exception was that he was not branded with a seal to control him.

No, he was branded with _threats_. The only thing remaining of his brother, the man's own son, was being held at hostage at all times. Even if he could get Neji out, or inform the Hokage of the problem, there was no doubt that Neji's mind would be destroyed by the seal regardless of the way the elders were handled. Then there was his own daughters, both equally at risk until they gained enough skill to fight off any would-be attackers from the Hyuuga. Were Neji not a factor, Hiashi was sure he could take down a majority of the elders himself if they were to come at him in combat, but he could not be certain his daughters would do the same.

But the main issue was that the elders would never fight him head on. They would attack him from the shadows of the clan's "traditions" and "rules." Weaving their way through loop holes and lies like snakes until they got what they wanted. Becoming aggressive with them, regardless of their actions or how _good_ it would feel, would result in a political backlash that might run the Hyuuga out of Konoha.

After all, who would want a group in their village that would kill their own over a disagreement? Especially in Konoha, a village known far and wide for their "Team before the mission" ideals that made them such a force to be reckoned with.

So knowing there was no way to deal with the Elders, politically or physically, made the man happy to know that at least one of his daughters had found a way out. A way to escape their touch, if only briefly. But... Hiashi Hyuuga was a man, or at least pretended to be, who knew that nothing was that easy. He needed to know more to understand what he could do. What he _should_ do.

So he went to the one man with all of the answers.

"Hyuuga-Sama, the Hokage will see you now."

* * *

 _ **Hokage's Discussion of Misfortune with Hiashi Hyuuga**_

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled at the tall man that entered his office, both exchanging nods of acknowledgment while the tall Hyuuga took a seat in the prepared chair in front of the Hokage's desk. It was rare that a Clan Head came directly to his office, at least on their own business. Some clan heads still went on missions, after all, or there was the Nara's head that came to him with various reports. But those were always business, usually a collection of reports of the local fluctuation of market prices or the movements of the other villages in the world.

But to come for a _personal_ reason was rare. The last time a clan head had came to him outside of business, it was because she was the _last_ of her clan and needed to be comforted by someone she knew who would know what it was like... To lose everything.

 _'Hopefully this won't be nearly as bad.'_ The Hokage thought to himself, but kept the depressing feelings off his face as he greeted his guest. "Welcome, Hiashi-San. I believe you wish to speak to me about something regarding your daughter? Nothing bad, I hope." His tone was, as always, the kind one would expect out of a nice grandfather. But for people like Hiashi, the tone was shadowed by the amount of wisdom and power the man radiated... It gave them nothing but respect for the powerful man and gave Hiashi reason to bow his head slightly in respect after the Hokage spoke.

"Indeed I do, though it is nothing negative... that I'm aware of." The man gave a slight shrug, placing his hands on his lap after briefly smoothing out his long gray robe. "What I wish to ask about is the origin of the document my daughter's teacher asked me to sign. The entire thing seemed too... convenient for her situation." His eyes narrowed slightly at the knowing smile that appeared on the Hokage's face, though the man's eyes were cast downward towards the top of his desk. Sensing he may have asked something sensitive, Hiashi bowed his head once more. "I apologize if it is not my place to ask, Hokage-Sama."

Hiruzen shook his head slowly, letting out a light chuckle with his gaze turning back up to the Hyuuga head. "No, you have every right to question the law affecting your daughter. As any parent would." Slowly, the old Kage leaned back in his chair, resting both of his hands together against the edge of the desk he was sitting behind. "The story behind the creation of that law is... difficult to explain. It did not appear out of no where. It did not become a law on a whim. And it was not simply accepted by the clans it affected. Even now the law faces pressure from clans to get it removed from existence, but their lack of true reasoning keeps them from coming to an agreement." Hiashi stared in response, slowly leaning back in his own chair.

"I would appreciate knowing more, Hokage-Sama." He stated simply, staring at the now amused looking face of his leader. The man's eyes, however, had a wistful look to them as he recalled a time long passed. Silence filled the room and the two stared at each other for a long moment before the Hokage gave a slow nod.

"... Very well."

* * *

 _ **Hiashi's Discussion of Misfortune with the Hokage. Pt. 2**_

"The creation of Law #25, called the 'Clan Black Sheep' in some documents was not created to distance clan members at all. Instead, it was to unify the clans even more with the understanding that not everyone was the same. Even if they were cut from the same cloth, it did not mean they shared the same design. The origin of this law came from the same type of issue that your daughter is having, Hiashi-San."

"What do you mean?"

".. Hmhm, it seems many people have forgotten something about me after all my years of Hokage. Even my teammates, Homura and Koharu, seem to forget a time where I was not the student of Tobirama and Hashirama Senju." A pause. "Children, back when I was but a child myself, were forced to go to war regularly even when the war itself was beginning to die down. Clans had begun to unite under the same plan as Hashirama-Sama, creating other villages besides Konoha. But the fights did not stop. They _could not_ stop, and so children were sent to war before they were ready. As shields or flimsy knives, if nothing else."

"I was no different." A low chuckle. "Unlike the time most Ninja in Konoha now have experienced, War was not something fought with hatred back then. It was a necessity. Out of fear, out of hope, and out of the desire of a good fight. So when children were sent to war, they are not quite treated as men as they had been in the last one. If I had to compare it to anything, it may be like how Genin teams are treated now." Another pause.

"But I am getting side tracked." Another chuckle, met with the slight 'tap tap' of the Kage's pipe emptying into a small bowl. "Back when I was but a child, I too was part of a clan. Nothing with a bloodline, mind you, merely a clan that held the Summoning Scroll for monkeys. That's all we really had, but Hashirama-Sama did not care for such things. He merely wanted to unite all of the clans he could into one collection. One village... But there were issues with such a thing."

"Some clan members could not be watched as carefully when there were other clans to study outside of battle. I was one of those. I had become friends with someone from a different clan and began to learn from them, though not intentionally. My clan's instructor began to notice these changes and grew … irritable, to put it simply. Unconsciously, I would ignore his instructions because they felt foreign to my body, unlike the simple techniques I was learning from watching a different clan."

"It was after a month of this before the instructor lost his temper. He began to treat me and everyone else he taught harshly, disregarding requests for breaks in their training and requesting missions outside the village for a small amount at a time." Another pause, this one ended with a soft sigh. "Two weeks after he began this process, nearly half his students had gone missing. All of them my family members. One week after that, my name was called and I was sent out of the village with him. I did not believe I would return."

"As luck would have it, the mission had been a scouting mission to make sure the borders Konoha had taken as their own were secure. This led us to the edge of The Land of Wind, a land where the village of Suna had began to form. Shinobi from that land had also come out to scout, and in a rush, my instructor attacked them as soon as they met, with a level of frustration of anger I had never seen before."

"Despite his anger, the man held his own against two others while the third attacked me, not wanting me to back up the instructor. We fought, we bled, and finally I decided to forgo my training and dodge instead of block... Something my instructor did not take kindly to. He left his battle and attacked me, screaming that it was my fault he had to get rid of the 'Black Sheep' to keep the clan great and that I was the source of all that. Because I was _different._ " A low, dark chuckle echoed across the room.

"But he forgot one, crucial thing about his situation during that time... That someone else was there to hear him. That someone else saw his true colors, even as he turned his blade on me. The three men who had fought so hard against us suddenly appeared, subduing my instructor and forcing him to his knees... I could never forget the look of pity on each of their faces as they looked at me... and silently one handed me a knife, giving me a true option over my instructor for the first time. One that the man could not later berate me for, regardless of the outcome."

A soft laugh. "I must have looked quite terrifying, now that I think about it. Covered in blood, sweat, and tears... Clothes ripped and dripping from the attacks I received and my breath coming out in wild, uneven gasps while holding a knife given to me by people that had wanted my life just moments ago... But back then, I was more scared of the man being held in front of me. His wild eyes were darting around left and right, though his mouth remained shut from the block of sand pushed into it... Even with all that fear, though, it wasn't enough for me to kill him."

"... Until I held the knife up to him. I could never forget that look of anger on his face as he stared at my thumb on top of the hilt instead of to the side as he had instructed me before on proper 'knife usage.' It was something that still, to this day, fills me with irritation. Back then, it caused all of my emotions to come pouring out as I realized what this man had truly done to the missing students."

"He had killed them... Each and every one of them... just for being slightly off his expectations. That wasn't something I could allow to continue. That wasn't something I could forgive, even if the Clan could. So... knife in hand, I stepped forward, purposely holding it as I wished instead of the way he had told me to..."

"... and I struck."

* * *

 _ **Hiashi Hyuuga's Ideals with the Tale of Hiruzen**_

Hiashi stared blankly at the saddened looking Kage, but remained silent out of respect. Even when Hiruzen's silence went on for minutes, Hiashi remained silent himself. On the inside, however, his mind was whirling with the tale. Already he could connect dots he had previously had no idea about before, but it also raised so many questions.

How had such a thing happened? To have so many students, children if Hiashi guessed right, go missing but no outrage of the parents or members of the clan? Was there no law yet to defend against unjust murder? Or were the killings simply not able to be proven, since it had been done outside the village? Anything like that now would result in a Missing-Nin being created, since Konoha could not forgive the killer of their own kind now, not without a just-cause like the murdered Nin or Civ being someone who could be proven to have plans to harm the village.

 _'But are we so different now, after all? The Caged Branch family may as well be dead with how little they live for themselves. Yet nothing is done about it, in or out of the clan. '_ His mouth tilted to a frown at the thought, and another bitter thought popped up into his head. _'Then there is myself. I have the title of Clan Head, yet it feels like I am nothing more than a puppet with one free hand. I can barely make my own choices in regards to the clan. I am caged as well, just with wider bars...'_

He sighed to himself, slightly tapping his fingers against his legs. _'I wonder what I would be like if my brother had not died for me... Or if my wife had not died for our child?'_ He closed his eyes, his frown growing deeper as he imagined their smiling faces...

When Hizashi had died, out of the desire to save his brother rather than anything for the Hyuuga, it had been a powerful blow to Hiashi's ego. Even though he still loved his brother, years of being groomed for the position of Clan Head had given him a sense of distance between the two. He began to see himself as higher than his brother, though part of that was out of jealousy that his brother did not have to meet up to the expectations of their father.

But the man's death had slapped the jealousy away from Hiashi, and soon he began to see that the Branch members were not quite free of pressure as he once thought. They could not be any more free than he could, and it seemed some could even hold feelings of passion for their clansmen despite the enslavement...

After all, Hiashi's own brother had saved him after having the seal used on him for leaking killing intent towards Hiashi's daughter. Something the man regretted to this day, though he knew he had to protect his child above all else... Perhaps that was why Hizashi bore no ill-will for that act.

But it was truly the death of his wife that broke the image of Hyuuga for Hiashi.

Seeing his wife as pale as snow, holding his hand and wishing... _begging_ for him to take care of their children and make sure they grow up to be wonderful women... It had been one of the few moments where Hiashi allowed himself to cry, accepting any demands his wife met with a passionate nod... And his wife just smiled, saying how much she loved him and how she wished she could continue to do so, but she had to wait. Wait for him to join her, and he claimed he would be there as soon as he was certain his... _their_ children were safe and strong...

And she just smiled.

It was only minutes after her death that the Hyuuga Elders rushed into the room, each ignoring the tear stains on Hiashi's face or the hand still grasping the now limp hand of his wife. Instead, they demanded the Curse Seal be placed onto Hiashi's new daughter, Hanabi, while grooming Hinata for the title of Clan Head just as they had done with Hiashi himself. It was only the hand still resting on his own that kept Hiashi from striking out and killing all of the men then and there for even asking for such a thing.

But it was his father, for once, that had stepped in to help. Daun had stated that such a thing was not up for discussion at this time, not while both parents were still present yet one unable to add in to the discussion. The man's words to keep them cowed had been something along the lines of:

" _If you still wish to press the issue, then I shall grant you permission to go to where the child's mother now lives. I'll even deliver you there myself."_

That was still one of the few times where Hiashi was thankful for his father, and one of the reasons Hiashi could not outright refuse him. Favors were not something a Hyuuga gave out easily, after all. But, sadly, the damage had already been done to Hiashi's view on the Hyuuga Elders. He could not trust any of them anymore; not that he ever really had in the first place.

 _'Can I truly say what the Hokage went through would not happen to my own children if given to one of the Hyuuga teachers?'_ He shook his head slightly, answering his own question with a slight sigh. _'No, it would definitely happen if Hinata went against the teachings of the Hyuuga openly without some kind of political wall, like she has now. The only reason it did not happen was because she was the heiress, and because she isn't the type to go against someone's wishes... Even if it's painful.'_ The man's shoulders lowered, as if truly feeling the weight of his position at long last. _'There is so little I can do for her... I promised I would protect our children, and I have done nothing but protect myself.'_

Another sigh echoed across the room, but it was not Hiashi's. Instead, it was Hiruzen, bringing Hiashi's attention back to his leader who was smiling sadly at him, holding a pipe in his hand that was already lit and blowing smoke into the air slowly.

"Sorry about that, Hiashi-San. I said I would tell you of the origin of that law, but I ended up getting lost in thought..." He chuckled softly, taking a _puff_ of his pipe. "Mm... Where was I?"

* * *

 _ **Hiruzen's Lament with Hiashi Hyuuga**_

"When I returned to the village after that, it seemed that everyone could tell by the look on my face and the wounds I had taken that something had happened. The lack of my instructor returning with me also stuck out, since it was the first time the student had returned alone instead of the master. It was such a big impact that the clan head at the time arrested me on the spot, stating that I would be held in medical care until I came clean on the details that transpired during my mission."

"I was silent and the only companion I had was a doctor who healed my wounds. He stopped coming after three days, and a week after my return is when the clan head finally made his way to me, demanding to know what had happened..." Silence filled the air for a long moment, until...

"I told him everything. My body not liking the clan's style of fighting, the instructor's anger, the missing students, and finally what had happened when we left the village. The only thing I refused to tell him was which clan I had learned from, in the fear that my friend would be put in danger. Something that angered the clan head and, after trying to force the information out of me for nearly two days, he stated that I would be put to death for the loss of his brother... Ha, I saw that look on your face. Yes, I was surprised too. They looked nothing alike."

"Hmm.. But it seemed the Shodaime had caught wind of my imprisonment and, upon hearing that I would be killed for the death of the instructor, ordered that it stay up in the air until he heard the story entirely. He came to me, along with his brother, and I told them everything. To have been pitied right away after the creation of a village... and then punished for that pity that was rightly deserved. It made the men furious..." Another pause, this one accompanied by the _puff_ of a pipe.

"That is when the Shodaime discussed a way around such terrible laws that bound clansmen to traditions not fit for them. Being the prime example, I was included in these discussions despite my young age. I believe it was there that Tobirama-Sensei grew interested in me, but I have no idea. All I know is the man requested me as one of his Genin when a team was made... But that's another story." There was a low, soft chuckle. "You wished to ask me about the specifics of the laws. The reasons behind having the clansmen keep their position as part of the clan, how the clans accepted it... and why it seemed to fit your daughter so perfectly."

"The position being kept was something I brought up. The bit about an heir keeping their position was merely a fleeting thought, one based on the idea of someone being pressured to leave their own clan by someone in the shadows, giving the heir status to someone else that they'd prefer... Similar to how I was put to death after one 'potential' kill while the man behind so many others was kept free until he made a mistake..." The pipe was tapped three times, emptying its contents. "As for keeping their name entirely, well... Names are important. I am the Hokage now, but who would I have been if not Sarutobi Hiruzen?"

"... You would still be the Hokage." The quick response caused a lapse in the conversation, followed by a soft laugh.

"Ha.. Indeed, that is a possibility. But a nameless man banished from his clan would not be accepted as such. A black sheep, however large, is much easier for people to accept than a sheep with no face." Another tap. "But, being that people would not accept such a sheep, there were many clans who fought against the idea of giving their people the choice to leave the traditions behind. That something so sacred couldn't be part of the village. So Hashirama-Sama stated the story behind such a law being created clearly... and said that anyone who would kill their own over such trivial matters was not welcome in the village... There was more to his speech than I recall, but I believe it was the start of the Will of Fire as part of Konoha's ideals. While such a will had existed within the Senju clan to begin with, it was the first time the village itself was presented with it."

"It didn't go perfectly, as you could imagine. Several clans did leave, about four I believe but they were rather small, and those that didn't were either too afraid of the war raging outside or content with the way their clans were being handled. A majority, however, were of the 'fearful' category. Even now those clans pressure even me to have the law removed, but they do not have a true reason other than a need to control their own family. But overall, I think they are content, and merely want more power... Power they do not truly deserve." A heavy sigh, and a slight crack as the Kage straightened up in his seat.

"Listen to me, Hiashi. I speak to you now not as the Hokage, but as a man who has gone through something similar to what is happening to your daughter." Another pause. "Do not abandon her. Do not stop watching her grow. And most importantly... Do not lower your guard. As the oldest _living_ Sarutobi and the only one remaining with a family... Do not believe your daughter to be completely safe. She is not. If the people you fear wish for her in some way, they _will_ get her... That is my warning to you, but I also promise to do whatever it is in my power to assist you in this regard. There isn't a moment where I do not regret the outcome of my clan, but I do not regret being a free man."

… Silence filled the room... and slowly, Hiashi bowed his head.

"Thank you, Hokage-Sama. I shall take my leave."

"Of course. Good day, Hyuuga Hiashi... Father of Hanabi and Hinata Hyuuga."

"... Good day." The door opened... and then clicked closed.

* * *

 _ **Extra: End.**_

 _ **Hopefully this leads to a bit more back story and background of the characters behind the law's creation... Along with how it was kept around for so long. Who better to keep a law in place than the first person to be defended with it?**_

 _ **Now as I said up above, there was a difference in writing style for this series of "extras" and this is because I wanted their words to be painting the picture, rather than simply taking you through a flash back. Mostly with Hiruzen's story. The lack of details in the character's movements was meant to convey a sort of... distance to them. They weren't the main focus anymore, you were supposed to be focusing on the past, on Hiruzen's tale, and hopefully this writing style portrayed it well enough.**_

 _ **There are also two major hints for a past event that resulted in the darkness of this law not coming to the light. I'll leave it up to you to find them.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed! Happy reading!**_

 _ **~Yasha-HebiHime**_


	16. The Dream Home

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

 _ **Milestone wasn't reached, but I felt like posting this. Inspire me to write more!**_

* * *

 _ **A bit later...**_

Naruto yawned slightly as she pushed a sheet of paper across the desk in her 'land lord' room. It had taken some time to recreate the same paper she had Anko sign earlier, for different rooms of course, but she also had taken some time to clean out her own room.

The clones were all gone at the moment, including 'The Lord', which left the real Naruto sitting behind the desk without any glasses on her face. Of course, with The Lord's memories inside her, she could easily pick out what she needed on the desk.

The Jinchuuriki had just finished the last paper, sliding it across the desk as she did, when the door opened up to reveal Kurenai and Hinata standing there. Kurenai had a smile on her face and Hinata was blushing, as usual, as they approached the blonde.

"I'm guessing it went well?" Naruto said with a slight smirk. Kurenai nodded, smiling a bit wider as she looked down at one of the papers on the desk, which Naruto turned to face the two as they approached.

"Indeed, though there was no doubt that we would come here... And this is where I am supposed to sign?" The Genjutsu Mistress picked up one of the papers, arching her eyebrow as she saw the price was 10,000 a month, which was way more than she made just from being a Jounin instructor. "Is 10,000 really enough?"

"Yep, that's it." Naruto confirmed, nodding her head as she handed one paper to Hinata with a smile. "Each room only costs about 8,000 to keep all the water and heat active, partly due to the water source being close. That leaves 2,000 to be piled up, plus whatever money I get from missions, so I get plenty of cash for these rooms." Kurenai nodded slightly at the explanation, noting to herself that it was probably the Hokage's influence that kept the price so low.

Naruto hummed slightly as she handed the two separate pens. "Although Hinata-Chan is getting my room, rather than an unused one." Both girls looked up at that, with Hinata's face glowing red.

 _'I... I'm getting Naruto's room..!?'_ She thought to herself, but shook her head to keep herself focused. Fainting twice in one day would, especially in Naruto's presence, would cause too many issues!

Kurenai was less pleased about the idea, which showed on her face as she frowned towards her blonde student. "Why is she getting your room, Naruto? Was there not enough?" She was certain the house had at least eight rooms, not counting the one they were in now which was just an attachment.

Naruto just smiled, shrugging slightly. "There's more than enough, but I'm going to redesign the top level. They've had issues in the past, and I didn't want to leave one of you up there while I was remodeling..."

"So I decided that I would just move into this room." The blonde gestured around at the room, her hand out stretched towards the bed as she smiled. "And just put all my stuff in here while I work up top."

Kurenai frowned a bit, looking around the room. "What about your bathroom? Or kitchen?"

Naruto shrugged slightly. "I can just use one up top..."

"No!" The sudden shout caused the other two to jump slightly as Hinata placed her hands on the desk, blushing. Her eyes were narrowed and a clear look of irritation was on her face, though it almost seemed out of place on the shy Hyuuga.

"E.. Eh?" The sudden action caused Naruto's eyes to widen a bit, as Hinata leaned closer. "W... What's up, Hinata-Chan?"

Hinata squirmed, piecing together what she wanted to say in her head,so she didn't stutter it out everywhere. "I... I can't let you just... d... do something like that! Um... Just... live in the same one a... as me!" The girl's heart was beating so fast that she thought it would explode, but she 'willed' her body to calm down.

Naruto blushed a bit, shaking her head. "I can't do that, Hinata-Chan... There's only one b... bed and..." She glanced at Kurenai for support, but the woman was simply frowning and staring at Hinata with a slightly confused expression on her face.

But Hinata was not going to go down easily, even if the thought of sharing a bed with Naruto nearly made her faint right then and there.

Instead, she glanced to the side, gulping slightly. "I do... don't mind... but... You ca... can use that bed." The Hyuuga Heiress pointed over at the bed in the corner of the room, which currently had a few bags resting on it from Naruto's belongings being moved into the room.

Naruto squirmed a bit, scratching her cheek slightly. "It's... It's really not a big deal, Hinata-Chan. I don't want to..." She flinched, stopping mid-sentence as she saw the Heiress lean closer, practically glaring as their eyes met.

"Y... You can't s... sacrifice yourself for me again. I... I won't let you. S... So either you live... with me."The girl gulped, her entire face red as she spoke, and seemed to be drawing on some hidden strength to keep herself from passing out right there. "O.. Or I won't live here."

Naruto flinched from the words, and now it was Kurenai who was looking at Naruto for support. If Hinata didn't live near her, the contract she had Hiashi sign would not work. If it didn't work, then Hinata would be forced to learn the Jyuken and be reduced to a shadow of what she could potentially become.

This was not lost on Naruto, but the blonde had her own pressing concerns with her friend as she recognized the determination burning in those lavender eyes. It had only came up a few times, but the Hyuuga Heiress could be extremely stubborn and down right _scary_ sometimes. This was something Naruto knew well.

The girl would refuse to live near Naruto, and possibly even stop talking to Naruto, until her words were accepted. Even though it seemed to make the girl just as depressed as her blonde friend, she'd stubbornly keep going on until she got her way. It was probably something she got from her father, if Naruto's experience with the man was anything to go by.

So she did the first thing that came to mind...

She gave in.

"Fine..." The Jinchuuriki muttered, fiddling with the pencil on the desk. "I'll move one of the beds from upstairs into the room and share it with you... Okay?" Hinata's only response was a bright and warm smile before she fell back with her eyes spinning.

Thankfully, Kurenai was there to catch her, keeping her from hitting the ground. The woman sighed a bit, looking up at a startled Naruto who had concern written across her face.

"She'll be fine... I think." Kurenai stated, shaking her head slightly. "Is it alright if I sign the paper for her? I'm legally her guardian now." Naruto blinked owlishly up at the woman as she laid Hinata on the bed in the corner of the room.

"Er... It should be okay. I'm not really sure about the specifics." The blonde admitted, scratching her cheek slightly. "I'm a bit new to all this stuff, you know." The Jounin smiled a bit at the girl, nodding slightly.

"I understand. We'll do some lessons over that as well, since you own a building like this." She chuckled as her student winced slightly, but wasted no time in signing her name on the papers given to her earlier.

As she finished writing the last symbol of her name on the second paper, the door burst open. Both sets of eyes in the room glanced over towards the door, and both twitched slightly at the sight of Anko holding a tied up Yamanaka Ino under one arm with a large bag under the other.

"Yo! I got the Princess from the castle. Let's put her in a tower!" Anko shouted, grinning as she stepped into the room. She ignored the indignant _'Mmph!_ ' from Ino against the tape covering her mouth as she looked over curiously at the unconscious Hyuuga on the bed in the corner. "What happened to Nata?"

"Uh... She went all red and just passed out... But anyways..." Naruto muttered, trying to shift the attention away from Hinata as she slid another paper across the desk. "I think Ino-Chan needs to sign this, so you have to untie her... Why is she tied up anyways?" The blonde questioned as she slid away the papers Kurenai signed into a stack in her desk.

Anko shrugged, putting the bound heiress up on her feet and starting to undo the ropes around her legs and arms. "Felt like it." Was the simple reply, one that got an annoyed glare from Ino. But the only sound she made was a yelp as the tape on her mouth was yanked off.

Rubbing her mouth and then her wrists to put feeling back into them, Ino glared angrily at her purple haired sensei, but offered nothing but an annoyed _huff_ as she saw the large grin on the woman's face. Mutely, the girl started to sign the paper on the desk, while Naruto frowned a bit in concern.

"You alright, Ino-Chan? You seem a little..." Ino smiled a bit at her friend as she handed the paper over.

"I'm fine, Goldie-Chan, just a little put out from being kidnapped in my own house." There was a bit of humor in her voice, but mostly irritation. Anko just grinned behind her, having kidnapped the girl just as she finished getting dressed. Thankfully, Ino had already packed most of her belongings in a large bag, since Anko assured her there was no chance of her father refusing.

How the Jounin got her father to cave in so easily was still up in the air, but she wasn't complaining... too much, at least. She still had to go to her father for training now and then, according to Anko, which made sense. It wasn't like the Jounin could teach her Yamanaka techniques.

"Well..." Naruto started, a bit of amusement in her own voice as she regarded the two. "With this out of the way, everyone officially lives here... So let's go out for ramen to celebrate!" The two adults rolled their eyes at the excited expression on Naruto's face, while Ino just sighed, shaking her head.

"Fine, but you need to eat other things... And what about Hinata?"

Naruto huffed irritably, crossing her arms. "I do eat other things!" A flat stare was the only response she got, and she turned her head slightly with a blush. "A... And she should wake up soon..."

"Why not just carry her there, then?" Anko suggested, grinning a bit at the slightly annoyed look Kurenai shot her. "I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

Naruto frowned a bit, looking a bit confused before shrugging. "Okay."

* * *

Hinata smiled to herself, humming quietly as she flipped an assortment of food in the pan in front of her. She was standing in a kitchen, her long blue-tinted hair hanging down to her waist, and her body was quite a bit taller than it usually was.

But none of that mattered to the girl as she hummed quietly to herself, brushing down the apron she wore with her free hand. A white shirt and long brown skirt was worn under that apron, and a small gold ring shimmered a bit on her left hand.

As she was cooking, she felt two arms wrap around her waist from behind and she felt herself gasp as a pair of lips pressed gently against her neck. "Good morning..." A soft voice whispered, and she felt her eyes close as the lips pressed against her again.

"Good morning, dear." Hinata whispered, smiling as she felt her lover's chin rest on her shoulder.

"What's for breakfast?"

"Oh, nothing much just some rice and..." She squeaked, a heavy blush spreading across her cheeks as she felt teeth sink into her neck slightly. "D.. Dear!"

"Mmn... Some rice... and... Nata!" Her lover shouted the last part, biting deeper into her neck and making her gasp, her eyes closing...

… and then fluttering open to see the face of her teammate, Naruto Uzumaki, just two or three feet from her own.

A heavy blush spread across Hinata's face as she studied her friend's sleeping expression; a soft, peaceful appearance, with her mouth slightly open as her blonde hair slid down her face. It was enough to make the Heiress sigh happily, a smile coming to her face as she rose up in the bed she was laying on, wearing just a simple lavender gown that was thick enough to hide anything private.

As promised, Naruto had moved one of the beds into the room she had given to Hinata. This had required some moving of the dresser in the room, but both beds fit nicely beside each other, and still left enough room in front of them to get to the door and the dresser in the corner.

The window had the bottom half of Naruto's bed in front of it, pouring light down onto the girl's feet which had some how escaped the blanket covering her at some point. Hinata giggled to herself, watching Naruto's exposed leg kick slightly at an imaginary enemy, and pulled the blanket over her blonde companion.

Crawling a bit to get off her own bed, Hinata quietly left the room, pulling a bag of her belongings off the ground outside the door as she did. She smiled as she checked the contents, making her way to the bathroom for a quick shower as she did every morning.

It was about 7AM if her mental clock was anything to go by, which meant she had about an hour before Naruto woke up... and about three hours before they were supposed to meet up with their sensei at the field. Although that was... almost a moot point, since their sensei now lived right beside them and thus there was not much meaning to meeting up only at the field...

But Hinata let those thoughts leave her as she soaked in the shower, which was honestly a bit better than her own back home. While the Hyuuga did have the best of the best, they were also very traditional and didn't keep up with all of the new technology that engineers were making for everyone.

The hot water in this shower came down at a much faster and a little more pressurized rate, causing the girl to sigh happily from the feeling. She let herself soak for a bit longer after washing herself with some soap and shampoo she bought from her home before she turned the water off.

After drying herself and redressing, she quickly went to the kitchen with a smile on her face, pulling the fridge open and pulling out several supplies for cooking she had stored away last night. After going to eat ramen with the team, there was a discussion about Naruto's diet...

Which consisted mostly of ramen and some meat, despite her constant discussions with Sakura and Ino to eat correctly... She had very few vegetables in her diet, though it was not truly her fault. She simply could not get her hands on supplies to eat.

But that's where Hinata came in, having spent an hour buying supplies after the group had split up after dinner. Ino had went to pick up her belongings, and Naruto had left to put the bed into the room. The two Jounin had simply disappeared, saying they would be at the house at some point.

Who knows what they were up to?

Back to the matter at hand, Hinata finally had a way to support her friend outside of class. It meant she could finally thank her for breaking through that shell that caused her family to view her as nothing more than a weakling... Although only her father and sister actually treated her differently.

 _'You just want to recreate that dream.'_ A mischievous part of her mind whispered, causing her face to light up as she began to cook. It was true she had some rather... heavy feelings for blonde, but just cooking for her to recreate a dream..!

 _'Preposterous.'_ She thought, huffing gently to herself as she cracked open an egg, pouring it into a pan. _'I am merely cooking for my friend... Hm...'_ She tilted her head slightly, staring at the eggs she had still in their plastic holder. _'Perhaps I should make extra and invite everyone else over..._ '

A large breakfast would be more interesting, since she was used to eating alone or just with her sister...

 _'But then I wouldn't be alone with Naruto-Chan.'_ She pouted a bit, but shook her head quickly, sighing as she picked up another egg. _'Well, I'll make extra anyways and invite them... Even if they say no, I'm sure Naruto-Chan and I can eat it all.'_

The sound of a door opening met her ears and she turned her head, looking out of the small wall that separated the kitchen from the 'living room', and felt her cheeks burn at the sight that greeted her.

Naruto was stumbling out of her room, her blonde hair hanging a bit over her face with the ears of the rabbit cap she wore drooping down a bit as well. The shoulder of her top was sliding down her left arm a bit, revealing a bit of her arm as she looked drowsily up towards Hinata.

"Oh... morning... Hinata-Chan." She yawned out, blinking as Hinata smiled warmly with her face burning red.

"M.. Morning, d... d... Ah...!" The Heiress blushed, slapping herself mentally as she caught herself almost slipping. _'No more love novels before bed.'_ She scolded herself, turning her attention back to Naruto before the girl noticed."M.. Morning Naruto-Chan! Uhm.. I'm cooking breakfast... I... I was going to ask if I should invite everyone..." Naruto blinked owlishly at her words and slowly nodded, a smile spreading on her face.

"I'd like that... I've never had breakfast with someone else before..." Hinata frowned a bit at that, though had to switch her gaze over to her food to make sure she didn't over cook the eggs. Seeing she wasn't looking anymore, Naruto yawned loudly and put her fingers up in her favorite cross seal. "I'll send a clone to ask them... but I'm going to shower too."

Hinata nodded, hearing the poof of a clone as she sighed a bit to herself, noting that she over cooked one of the eggs a bit. "O.. Okay, thank you... Um, feel free to use t... the soap I brought." She heard the door close and smiled a bit to herself, shaking her head. "Naruto-Chan is so cute..." She muttered to herself, smiling as she slid one of the eggs onto a plate.

She didn't notice the clone Naruto made had not quite left yet, but was instead hanging at the door. Out of curiosity, she hesitated in opening it as she waited to see what else the Heiress would say. But no further words came, so the clone decided to open the door as quietly as possible. She had a vague idea that she was the reason Hinata constantly fainted...

… And it'd be a serious problem if the girl fainted while cooking.

* * *

 _ **A little later...**_

Kurenai smiled a bit at the scene before her as she sipped a cup of tea, having been invited along side the other members of Team 8 to have breakfast in Naruto and Hinata's 'apartment.' She was sitting at the large square table that took up the space a bit close to the door, and was looking right into the kitchen.

She was a bit put off that the clone had not bothered to knock when it entered her own apartment. But the clone had appeared rather flustered after finding Anko and Kurenai in the same bed too, which meant it was unlikely that Naruto would repeat that... Even though Kurenai had been just as surprised as the clone to find Anko there.

The Snake Mistress did not get her name by chance. She truly knew how to slither her way into any place she wanted... including under Kurenai's blankets, without the woman even noticing until she woke up.

But that was a different story, and played no part in what she was staring at.

Apparently, Naruto had been slightly put off by Hinata still cooking when she came out of the shower, and now the two were standing side by side in the kitchen, wearing matching aprons. The one Naruto wore was just one a clone supplied her, which is why it was a complete copy, and it was just a simple white apron with a black rabbit printed on the front.

At first, the thought of the two sharing a room had put Kurenai on edge. While she did trust them both to make the right choices, they were both still children and would make mistakes. She wasn't quite sure they knew exactly what it meant to live together, especially in a tight apartment that forced them to be rather close.

But now that the woman saw the two standing side by side, chatting happily about the food they were cooking and about Hinata's younger sister, the red-eyed Jounin found herself smiling. It wasn't often in her Ninja career that she saw such a peaceful scene, even in Konoha. It also wasn't often she found her 'adopted daughter' smiling so brightly or her eyes having such warmth.

Not to say the girl didn't smile often around Kurenai, but there was something... warm about the aura she gave off now. Happy, peaceful... Without stress. It was nice to see Hinata so relaxed.

"Hey, Waiter! Five more rounds!" Anko suddenly called out, interrupting Kurenai's thoughts as she shouted from beside the woman. Her request was met with just a confused look from the two in the kitchen, as they had never been to a bar and thus did not get the joke.

Anko simply rolled her eyes, holding her glass up. "More tea." Her request was met with a huff from another presence in the room, as Ino stood up from the edge of the table.

Running a hand through her slightly damp hair, Ino began to walk to the kitchen, shaking her head. "I'll get it."

"Thanks, doll~" Ino twitched a bit from that, and Kurenai sighed a bit, sipping her own tea slowly. If only the rest of the group could have such a peaceful relationship...

 _'But then, I suppose, we wouldn't really be Ninja if all we had was peace.'_

* * *

After everyone was done eating breakfast, all three of the Genin stood up and began to wash dishes. Though Ino's only job was to place the plates to the side after one of the other two handed them to her. Kurenai smiled a bit at the scene, chuckling softly, but she knew she had to get back on track. They had a lot to do today.

"When you girls get done with that, we should all head over to the training field." The girls nodded to her words, though Anko was the only one that looked over, still being in her seat at the table.

"Been thinking about that actually, Nainai." Anko started, her words earning a slight scowl from the red-eyed Jounin.

"Don't call me that."

Anko just smirked in response, shaking her head slightly. "Why don't we use the training field out back? We all paid for it." Anko's words caused Kurenai to frown slightly as she considered the option, while Naruto looked back curiously.

"I don't mind, but it might be too small." The blonde stated, her hand moving in circles as she rubbed a wet cloth along one of the plates.

"I agree a bit." Kurenai admitted, crossing her arms. "The area is too small for the things we did yesterday, especially if we all practice Taijutsu. It may be best to save that training area for training that does not take all of us." Naruto nodded in agreement with her, putting the last plate to the side for Ino to put away.

Anko just shrugged, standing up and stretching with her arms going behind her head. "Ahh... Fine, suit yourself. I'm going to get over there then." Kurenai shook her head as the woman suddenly vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"I'll be heading over there as well. We'll be practicing what we did yesterday, though you all three will be doing Taijutsu rounds since you seemed to get tree walking." Kurenai started to stand up as the other girls nodded slightly, looking back at the woman as she spoke.

"We'll be there, Kurenai-Sensei." Ino said with another nod, taking one of the plates and rubbing it with a dry rag to clean it off. "Are we still going to have missions at the same time?"

Kurenai sighed a bit, pushing her chair in and Anko's chair, as the woman did not do it before leaving. "Yes, but I'll be picking the missions this time. I don't need you girls finding a hidden vault of ancient artifacts or something." There was an amused tone to her voice and the Genin flinched a bit, a slight sweat drop going down the back of Ino's head.

"A... Ah, it was an accident so..." Ino muttered, squirming a big as she felt her Sensei's eyes on her back.

"Indeed, and I'd like to keep that accident from happening again... I don't want you girls getting in trouble for getting into something you shouldn't have." There were brisk nods in response as they began to dry their hands and Kurenai chuckled softly, disappearing in a small puff of smoke.

* * *

 _ **Hours later...**_

Ino sighed to herself, her shoulders drooping as she stared up towards her two teammates walking of her. They had just finished their third, and thankfully last, D-rank mission for the day. But apparently, Kurenai had been a tad... irritated with the way the previous ones went, or she simply had nothing to do as she followed the three through every mission.

The first mission had been to move boxes from a warehouse into another warehouse. It had been a relatively simple mission with no real issues, other than one of the men working there giving Naruto a hard time, which was met with a harsh glare from Kurenai. Naruto had even turned the mission into a game, stacking up as many boxes as she could then binding them together with wire to see how many she could carry.

It was a good thing wire made for Ninja was very durable.

The second mission was another mission that involved painting, only this time they were painting an entire building instead of a fence. Naruto did use her clones for that one, because the building was much larger than they had expected, and they had finished the mission very quickly. The only down side was that Hinata and Ino were told, by Kurenai herself, that she was going to train them extra hard since they didn't do as much work as Naruto. This was met with a groan from Ino, and a simple nod from Hinata, while Naruto just rubbed the back of her head.

But it was really the third mission that caused Ino's distress. After all, who could have thought that trying to catch a simple cat would be met with such resistance? The thing had taken twice as long as the first mission, and it had left Naruto and Ino with scars running up the exposed areas of their arms.

Hinata was the only one who didn't get harmed by the demonic cat, as it seemed to take a liking to her quiet and gentle nature. The thing had practically fallen asleep in her arms on the way back to the mission desk, and had cried to return to her arms after it was handed over to it's real owner, the Daimyo's wife... Well, one of them.

Kurenai had clearly enjoyed the two blonde's misery too, with the slight smirk she wore on her face every time they looked over at her for assistance. It really made the Yamanaka wonder if _that_ had been the reason she had decided to choose the missions... Some how, it really fit with the sadistic vibe the two Jounin gave off.

The three Genin were now making their way to the training field now, after having a small lunch. Naruto had been 'forced' to wear a disguise while eating lunch at a civilian restaurant, though her excuse was that she had played a prank on the place when she was younger.

Of course, that didn't explain _why_ she did a prank on them. After all, Naruto wasn't really known for her pranks, yet everyone seemed to hate her in one way or another with them.

 _'Not only that...'_ Ino thought to herself, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stared at the backs in front of her, _'But Goldie doesn't prank without a reason. It's always something with her, like the time she did that prank on Ami when that bitch was picking on Sakura.'_

It had been very amusing to find Ami wearing a hat after she mysteriously found horns glued to her head and she was unable to remove them for a good week or so. That prank was one of the few Naruto actually told them about to, but Ino knew she had done more in the past. There was no way that type of thing was done on a whim, especially when Ami complained about it being done while her parents were home.

 _'Everyone kind of... hates Goldie, don't they?'_ The girl suddenly realized, a frown on her face as she recollected all of the glares sent Naruto's way when they were just walking down the street. _'Why, though? She hasn't done anything that bad, and...'_

"Welcome, my kiddies!" A voice suddenly shouted out, causing Ino to jump slightly as she looked up, seeing the group had already made it to the training field. Akane was the one that spoke, and the woman was grinning as she stood up on the center post with her hands on her hips. "Are you girls ready to train?"

"Of course!" Naruto quickly responded, pumping her fists up into the air. Ino just rolled her eyes slightly, while Hinata gave a hesitant nod. Anko grinned at their responses, nodding her head as Kurenai stood behind them, rolling her eyes slightly.

"Get on with it, Anko. We need to use our time wisely." Kurenai warned, causing the woman to stick her tongue out in response.

"Bleh! No fun, Nainai." Anko stated, hopping down from her perch and ignoring the quick 'Don't call me that' from Kurenai as she did. "Anyways, today kiddies, we'll be goin' over the same stuff, but you two." She pointed at Ino and Hinata with one finger from each hand. "Will be learning the same technique that Naru-Chan was going over."

"Technique..?" Hinata muttered, tilting her head slightly to the side. Ino also had a blank look on her face, clearly not having any idea what the woman was talking about.

It was actually Naruto who spoke up to respond, turning to face the other two. "My clan left me a scroll that goes over a fighting style. Anko-Sensei and I decided we're all going to learn it because it's a great basis for all other styles." She looked over at Anko for confirmation at the end, as if asking if what she said was correct.

Anko grinned, nodding in response and putting her hand on the girl's blonde head. "Yep, and it's also a water style, so Nata can lean it pretty easily." Hinata blushed a bit at the sudden attention, and Anko grinned a bit as she ruffled Naruto's hair. "We'll also be going over making sure you master at least one Jutsu."

"Master one Jutsu..? What does that mean?" Naruto questioned, frowning as she crossed her arms. "I think I've mastered the _**Kage Bunshin**_ pretty well..."

Anko grinned a bit, sharing a knowing glance with Kurenai. "Well, my little Genin, that's where you're incorrect! Mastering the use of a Jutsu isn't just knowing when and where to use it, it's _how_ to use it." Before they could question what she meant, the woman was suddenly replaced with Kurenai, who smirked down at them a bit.

The Genin each blinked in confusion, looking back to see Anko was now standing behind Ino, waving her hand slightly. Ino tilted her head slightly, frowning up at the Jounin. "What? All you did was _**Kawarimi**_ **.** " She muttered, crossing her arms.

Naruto simply tilted her head slightly, confusion clear on her face while Hinata gasped softly, her lavender eyes widening a bit. "O.. Oh..!" She gasped out softly, but was silenced as Anko put her finger up, blocking her own lips.

"Sh~ Let them figure it out. I'll do it one more time." With a smirk, the woman suddenly swapped with Kurenai again and this time it was Naruto's eyes that widened as her fist went against her palm.

"Oh! I get it." Ino frowned, letting out an annoyed _huff_ as she looked over at her two teammates.

"Get what? I don't see them doing anything." Naruto grinned a bit, holding her hands up towards the girl.

"That's the point, isn't it? They didn't use their hands." Ino just stared for a moment before eyes fell half open.

"Didn't use their..." Her eyes widened and she gasped, mimicking the other two as her own fist fell into her palm and she let out a "Oh!" Anko rolled her eyes slightly, chuckling a bit while Kurenai shook her head, crossing her arms under her chest.

"As I'm sure you just realized..." The Genjutsu Mistress started, smiling a bit. "All Jutsu, or at least a majority of them, require hand seals in order to use them effectively. This is to carefully balance the chakra you have to use." The woman spread her arms apart, holding her hands out. "Without that balance, your chakra will either do nothing... or explode in your face."

The woman was suddenly replaced with Anko again and the purple haired Jounin waved her finger a bit, having the other hand resting against her hip. "But the hand seals aren't needed, they're just a helpful tool. If you can figure out how to use a Jutsu to its fullest, then you can use a lot of Jutsu without hand seals."

"Which can turn a battle pretty fast..." Ino noted, rubbing her chin slightly. "Not to mention that _**Kawarimi**_ could be used without wasting time for hand seals."

Kurenai nodded a bit, smiling at her student as she took a spot beside Anko. "That is correct, Ino. Which is why today, we'll mostly be focusing on getting you three the ability to use _**Kawarimi**_ without hand seals." The woman stated, though her face fell slightly as she saw Naruto wince, rubbing the back of her head. "Something wrong, Naruto?"

The blonde squirmed as everyone's eyes turned towards her, and she let out a soft sigh. _'Better now than never, I guess.'_ She thought to herself, as her hand rubbed the back of her head. "Well, I have... issues with the _**Kawarimi**_." Her words brought an arched eyebrow from her two Jounin sensei, but it was Anko who spoke up.

"Issues? Thought you only had issues with the _**Bunshin**_ thing." Naruto chuckled a bit at her words, rubbing the back of her head slightly again.

"I do, they always get sick, but... With _**Kawarimi**_ , I have trouble … swapping places with anything organic. Like logs." Seeing their confused expressions, the girl put her hands up, doing a quick set of seals for _**Kawarimi**_. She popped into a cloud of smoke that revealed a large log as it cleared, leaving Naruto no where to be found.

The log was actually a simple 'construct' of chakra, and not actually a random perfectly cut piece of wood. Similar to a _**Bunshin**_ , but much thicker and most of the chakra was used in traveling. However, the logs made with the _**Kawarimi**_ are still organic in nature, as they're constructed from an instinctive use of 'Nature' chakra to give them 'life.'

The logs all decompose quickly, however, so they can't be used for anything other than quick swap.

But even if they do decompose quickly, it still took around an an hour or so for them to even show signs of this. Thus it was a surprise as Naruto appeared from behind one of the posts and the log began to quickly blacken and fall apart, as if something was eating it. The other two Genin took a step back from the log, their eyes slightly wide while the Jounin shared a frown as the log finished crumbling into small black specs onto the ground.

"See what I mean?" Naruto remarked with a frown, leaning against the post she stepped past.

Kurenai sighed a bit, feeling a headache coming on as she stared at the rest of the log beginning to dissolve away completely. She looked up at the blonde with a faint bit of amusement... and annoyance as she realized there was another hurdle for her student to overcome.

One that possibly _couldn't_ be overcome for a long time...

"Well, you can still _use_ the technique, but the logs decompose faster than..."

"That's not all." Naruto interrupted her red-eyed sensei, a frown on her whiskered face. "I can't swap with _anything_ living. I haven't tried it with my clones yet, but I did try swapping with a rabbit once." She shook her head, her face scrunching up slightly. "It... didn't last too long."

"I see..." Kurenai muttered, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. One of the key components of the _**Kawarimi**_ was the ability to swap with your teammates. If she couldn't, then...

"I don't see the problem." Anko suddenly remarked, earning a soft 'Eh?' from Naruto as everyone's gaze turned towards the Jounin. The woman just shrugged, crossing her arms under her own chest. "What's the big deal? So it decomposes fast. Just don't swap with a teammate and you're good."

"But..." Naruto started, only to be quickly interrupted by the Jounin.

"Not only that, but if you can figure out _why_ it happens, then you can use it against an enemy... If it works on them. But the _**Kawarimi**_ isn't used to swap into danger, it's to get out of danger. Even if you can't use it correctly, you're still dodging the attack and that's what is important." Anko smirked a bit as Naruto's face scrunched up slightly.

"I guess that's true... I just have to make sure I don't use it on anything living if I can help it." The blonde sighed slightly, but jumped as Anko's hands suddenly clapped together.

"Great! Now that it's settled, let's get to training. I'm getting restless." She grinned widely, showing off her teeth as she pulled several kunai out, causing the Genin to pale slightly. "Don't worry... If you _**Kawarimi**_ right, then you won't get hurt. Now dodge!"

The Genin all squeaked, diving out of the way as several kunai flew past them, each child taking off into a different direction soon after. It wasn't long for Anko to give chase, while Kurenai just shook her head as she watched. She knew she'd get her own chance to tor-... teach the children something before the day was up.

 _'Hmm... We should go on a C-rank outside the village in a week or so.'_ The Genjutsu Mistress thought to herself, though she kept the thoughts off her face. _'Maybe something simple like escorting, or delivering a message.. Something that won't be too hard.'_ She chuckled a bit, looking across the field to see Hinata disappear, replaced with a log just as a kunai was about to hit her.

The kunai were, thankfully, all blunted and leave nothing more than a red bump if they did hit. But it was likely the Genin didn't know that... It was just like Anko to use real ones, after all.

 _'At least...'_ Kurenai thought to herself, frowning a bit as she saw one of the kunai slide inside one of the trees. _'I_ hope _they're blunted...'_

* * *

 **Chapter End!.. But that's not all folks!**

 **Tales of a Kunoichi Extra: The Many Lives of one Blonde.**

 **Part 1: Titles of a Girl**

Upon the creation of the various tasks Naruto found herself required to do for her house, there was a special "title" she appointed for each one. At first, this had been merely a mental game for her. Something she kept to herself and no one else was aware of. But when the _**Kage Bunshin**_ became part of her arsenal, there became not just one Naruto that knew of these titles...

No, there were _thousands._

Each little _**Kage Bunshin**_ didn't leave much impact on Naruto's conscious mind overall, but subtly each title became a "Naruto" on her own. The Land Lord, The Banker, The Cleaner, The Fixer, The Worker, The Digger, and many, many more. Some had rather mundane tasks, such as dusting the house, or helping fix up the training field in the back yard. Some even _shared_ tasks, like digging. Others had more serious tasks, such as the Land Lord who handled all the paper work and requirements for the house that the Hokage had pressed on her once the previous, and non-Naruto, Land Lord had died.

Most of the "titles" found their work around the house for the most part, only venturing out to get more supplies and sometimes those supplies were delivered straight to them, where the Land Lord took care of the price and delivery herself.

But there was one title that never went to the house. One of the first ever created by Naruto's mind as a necessity for her pranks. Information gathering, position of opposition, and point of entry... The main factors of infiltration and _destruction_ fell to one title specifically: The Scout. The Scout was always moving, always finding new places to enter, and always looking for new targets.

Today... was no different.

Despite the claims of the main Naruto that she was "too busy for real pranks", that had really only applied to the _real_ Naruto. The clones, however... were left to their own devices at all times. They had nothing _but_ time. Naruto also, seemingly without really thinking about it, pumped the "major" titles full of chakra to let them live throughout the day. This left them active until late at night, or until Naruto dismissed them.

The Scout was such a title, and currently she was standing on top of the Hokage Monument, specifically on top of the Fourth Hokage's head which was one of Naruto's favorite hiding spots. But anyone who looked at the Scout would question if it was really Naruto, if only due to the odd appearance the girl had. Because of her status as a "major" title, she had a special attire and piece of equipment that she alone carried, just as the Land Lord wore a pair of fake glasses on her face.

The Scout, on the other hand, had a much more complicated "uniform." She wore her hair back and free, letting it flow in the wind unlike most of the other clones that wore Naruto's new standard of a ponytail. The girl's outfit had shifted to a loose dark green vest that was sleeveless with both ends going over one breast, hiding most of them from view but not the side of either breast with a strap just above her stomach that held the vest in place. Dark green cargo pants covered her legs and were tucked into a pair of black boots on her feet, and her whiskers were covered by a thin layer of black paint, making them appear thicker but also more of a block shape. Her forehead protector was also gone, replaced by a long red cloth tied tightly around her forehead with the long ends flowing behind in the wind with her hair and both sides of the ends had a black spiral symbol on it.

Now, Naruto didn't actually _dress_ this way before making the clone. That would be too time consuming. Instead, the clone simply _made_ itself look like that with their special _**Henge**_ and the changes were minor enough that almost none of its chakra was being used for it. Chakra Scout could do without, but that isn't to say she didn't _need_ chakra at all. No, she had a use for chakra, today specifically.

A new target had appeared recently. One that knew of her and reinforced its defenses. To prank someone that was unaware was one thing... To prank someone who knew of her abilities was something else entirely.

A grin spread across the blonde's face, her gaze turning downward towards the Hokage Tower that all the stone Kage were facing. Scout, out of excitement and a bit due to Anko's influence, licked her lips as her blue eyes turned towards the small building on the side of the Hokage Tower. A place she had struck recently. But now...

 _'I'm not coming for just anyone this time...'_ The Scout thought to herself, kneeling down and placing her hand on top of the stone she stood on in preparation to jump. _'I'm coming for you...'_ With a large smile on her face, Scout jumped off the rock and floated down towards the building in her sight with her eyes sparkling with mischief.

 _'Morino Ibiki!'_

* * *

 _ **Extra End!**_

 _ **And thus begins the Extra bits at the end of chapters! Sadly, by the looks of what the next chapter will be, you guys will not be getting another one for possibly another two to three chapters! But don't fret~ That just means the**_ **main** ** _story is going to be pretty good... Maybe!_**

 _ **Now as for the idea behind these "extras", it was actually suggested by a reviewer (That's one of you guys!) called DschingisKhan that I could do an "entire omake series about the daily lives of Naruto clones." At first, I dismissed it. What could I do with just the Land Lord? She doesn't move!**_

 _ **But then it came to me after writing the last extra: I don't need to write about just her. Naruto has clones everywhere. So, I decided to use these extras to establish connections between Naruto and other characters. Will they appear in the main text sometime? Possibly referenced, but most extras come to me at the end of editing a chapter, so extras about the past may just stay as plot fluff.**_

 _ **This little bit of Extras, though... It might have a small impact. Now another question would be: When does this take place?**_

 _ **There's a bit of time during the start of the next chapter. All the extras of this specific set of stories will be taking place during that time. I'll remind everyone of when that is when the next extra is posted. Like I said, though, that might be a few chapters.**_

 _ **Please tell me what you thought about everything and let this be a lesson to you guys: Your comments matter! Why, if Khan had not suggested a series like this, it's very likely I wouldn't have done anything regarding it! Hopefully it'll be fun for you guys as it was for me!**_

 _ **Happy reading!**_

 _ **~Yasha-HebiHime**_


	17. Walling off Darkness

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

* * *

The meeting of Team 8 started to become routine. They would wake, enjoy a breakfast prepared by Hinata and Naruto, then go do D-rank missions. After the missions, they would go to train for a few hours, before doing one or two D-rank missions if it wasn't too dark. Then they would head 'home.'

Three days had passed, and all of the Genin had learned quite a bit. Each of them learned the _**Shaedo no Ken**_ , though Ino had struggled with the form at first. It took the Yamanaka a whole day, and practicing at home, to get the form completely down like Hinata and Naruto. But the end result allowed each of the Genin to fight evenly with each other to a certain extent.

Naruto still overwhelmed the other two with the power and stamina she had, but Hinata had shown she could get in some fast and heavy hits on her own. Ino was the balance of the two, using her flexibility more than often to dodge attacks and use pressure points she learned from Anko to her advantage.

The pressure points didn't really work on Naruto too well, but Hinata found that she could still shut off the blonde's chakra points to make her body stop working. Hinata herself, however, was weak to the pressure points Ino used against her, though she was careful to avoid them after the first few spars.

The three Genin also learned a few Jutsu, and each of them mastered the _**Kawarimi**_ after a day and a half of training over it. Naruto had learned a special Jutsu that worked with the _**Suiton: Jiko Haru**_ called _**Suiton: Mizu Ken**_ (Water Style: Water Sword) that allowed the blonde to turn the water surrounding her body into a sharp edge... Although she could only use it around her right hand for now, and had nearly cut her skin apart trying to do it to her entire body.

Hinata learned _**Suiton: Teppodama**_ (Water Style: Gunshot) which shot a single bullet of water out from her finger tips. Each finger added extra size and speed to the shot, up to four fingers, but Hinata could only do one right now, and even then it seemed to hurt her finger tips after five shots or so. The water generated came from the user's own body as well, resulting in constant use not only weakening the Tenketsu, but also causing dehydration if used in succession. Outside sources could also be used, but it would require the hand to be coated in water or touching it. This weakness could be fixed if one were to master manipulating _**Suiton**_ chakra, negating the need for the body's water as well, but that was beyond the Hyuuga for right now and both Jounin had strictly told Hinata to not bother trying it, lest she accidentally create water in her lungs on accident and drown herself.

Ino had started to learn _**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu**_ , but the girl had ended up chugging water after almost burning her throat with the flame. Thankfully, Anko also knew some medical Jutsu and used it to keep Ino from having any lasting effects, but the girl had stopped learning the Jutsu after that, deciding to go after a smaller _**Raiton**_ Jutsu.

The Jutsu the Yamanaka went after was the _**Raiton: Parusu**_ (Lightning Style: Pulse). It allowed her to send a pulse of electricity through her hands, disrupting the nerves of whoever she touched. The electricity was rather low in voltage, so there was no burning or anything, but learning the Jutsu had left the girl with numb palms for awhile, until she figured out how to work around it. Putting more chakra into it also resulted in the electricity produced becoming more potent or numerous, sometimes leaving clouds of electricity in the air, but doing it more than once usually tired the girl out.

In all, the Genin had learned quite a bit at a rate that impressed their Jounin instructors. Of course, they had no way of knowing this, and the sadistic teachers had no intention of telling them. They just continued to push and push the Genin until they were cursing the two … Or at least two blondes were.

But all things come to an end, even moments that seem to repeat.

* * *

Uzuki Yugao sighed to herself, brushing her purple hair over her shoulder as she stared at the scene before her. She was trained to not react to anything out right, and thus kept her face schooled even as she felt a breeze brush against her, as a certain blonde flew past her.

The woman was witnessing a Team 8 'Sparring Session' with Naruto fighting Kurenai for once. The woman had 'sealed' her Genjutsu for the match, focusing on only using Taijutsu so long as Naruto remained in the circle that had been drawn on the ground in the grass.

But the girl had only lasted one minute before being hit by a heavy palm strike in the middle of her chest, sending her rocketing back. That was when Yugao had arrived, however. Since then, the blonde had been tossed in and out of the ring at least a dozen times, and she had only been around for ten minutes or so.

She was quite surprised that Kurenai was showing such talent in Taijutsu, even if it was just against a Genin, as there was almost no rumors of her using anything but Genjutsu. But she pushed the surprise aside as she realized the woman was, after all, a Jounin. While they could be specialized in one area, it was very... rare for a Jounin to only rely on one skill. They could always meet someone better than them at it, after all.

She shook her head slightly, watching Naruto charge back into the circle, demanding yet another chance. Kurenai was quick to agree, a smile on her face which Yugao shared mentally as she saw the blonde slide forward to attack. The girl had certainly improved from where she had been just a few days ago, but it was obvious she still had a long way to go.

Yugao, deciding to get their attention as she coughed into her hand, walked up to the two before Naruto could throw a punch. Their heads turned towards her slowly, and Yugao met their gazes with a quick bow. "Greetings, Kurenai-San, Naruto-San."

Kurenai blinked, returning the bow and greeting, while Naruto grinned wide. "Hey C-" A hand slid over her mouth, keeping her from speaking as Yugao stared down at her, just two inches away from the blonde.

"Do not call me that. I am Yugao Uzuki, the head of security revision. You may call me Yugao, understand?" A quick nod was her answer, and Naruto's wide smile was revealed once more as Yugao pulled her hand away.

"Got it, Yugao-San!" The blonde shouted a bit, giving the woman a quick look over. She was wearing the outfit she usually wore under her ANBU cloak.

Which was a vest with a black undershirt, a kunai pouch tied just above her right knee, and a set of arm bands that went up to her elbows with black gloves going up to her shoulders. Her right shoulder also had a Konoha symbol on it, and the blonde could see the hilt of her sword just over her right shoulder as well.

Yugao nodded slightly, and pointedly ignoring Naruto's gaze, turned her head towards Kurenai. "I apologize for interrupting your training, Kurenai-San. But I have a request to make of your student, one that may need as much time as possible." Kurenai arched her eyebrow slightly, crossing her arms under her chest.

"I don't mind your presence here, Yugao-San, but I do wish to know what you're going to request of my student." There was a bit of... suspicion to her voice that caused Yugao to pause. It took all of the ANBU's senses to tell that the Jounin was being protective of the blonde, like a mother protecting its child. Yet, she also felt there was something deeper than that... A sort of suspicion that went deeper.

Naruto seemed to sense something as well as she placed her hand gently on Kurenai's arm, smiling a bit at the woman. "It's okay. Yugao-San is my friend. I trust her." Her words did seem to relax the red-eyed Jounin a bit, but she still stared at the purple haired ANBU with a bit of hesitation in her gaze.

"I still want to know." She affirmed after a moment of staring.

Yugao pushed the urge to chuckle down as she nodded her head. "Very well, I don't mind telling you." The ANBU reached into her vest, pulling out a golden badge that was a square shape with Konoha's symbol printed on it. "I'm currently the head of Security Revision, a new section of security that focuses on fixing holes in Konoha's defense. Right now, Naruto-San and I are the only members."

Kurenai blinked at the explanation, a frown on her face as she glanced towards Naruto. "Members? Why is Naruto a..." The words didn't need to be said, and Yugao understood what she was asking. _'Why is Naruto helping with security?'_

"For several reasons." The 'Security Head' started, allowing a slight smile to appear on her face. "Naruto-San has proven several times to know exactly how to get into highly defended areas, even without help, and knows how to bring attention to them. My job is to supply Naruto with anything she needs in order to make holes in our defenses obvious to us so that we may fix them."

Naruto nodded slightly while Kurenai just stared on, a frown of concern on her face. "That... seems a little much for a Genin, doesn't it?" The woman muttered slightly, mostly to herself.

Yugao chuckled slightly, glancing over at the blonde Genin in question. "Naruto-San has been giving ANBU trouble since she was young, far before she did any form of training to be a Genin." Naruto blushed slightly from the praise, looking to the side in embarrassment as Yugao continued. "I think she is more than ready, and I do not intend on allowing her into any place that I know isn't safe."

Kurenai stared for a few more moments before sighing, nodding her head. "Very well. Do you require her now? We _are_ in the middle of training, but..." Yugao shook her head, gesturing over towards Naruto.

"I only require a _**Kage Bunshin**_ for now. I had gone to her home to talk to one there, but I had thought it best to inform her sensei as well." Kurenai nodded at the explanation, glancing over at the sound of a _poof_ as Naruto's clone formed beside her. Yugao arched her eyebrow a bit at the sight, smiling to herself. "No hand seals?"

Both of the blondes grinned, giving Yugao a thumbs up. "Nope!" They shouted in unison, causing both women to chuckle slightly.

"I see. I'm glad to see you got stronger, Naruto-San." The blonde blushed from Yugao's kind words and the clone took the woman's hand as she held it out. "I shall leave you two to your business. Good luck." The two nodded, and watched as the clone and Yugao disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

The leaves were then pushed roughly aside as Kurenai's palm slammed into Naurto's chest just a moment later.

* * *

The clone of Naruto, who mentally labeled herself as "the Planner", placed a cup of tea in front of Yugao as the two stood in the Land Lord room in Naruto's home. No other clones were present, excluding about a dozen on the top floor of the building who were still busy remodeling it. 'Planner' and Yugao were sitting across the large desk in the room, with Yugao sitting in a smaller wooden chair.

The purple haired ANBU nodded at the clone, smiling slightly as she picked her tea up and took a sip from it. She noted it was better than the last time, a higher quality of tea, and seemed to be prepared a bit better.

"It's better than the last time." Yugao noted, voicing her thoughts aloud.

Naruto blushed slightly, nodding her head as she took a seat in the arm chair, sipping her own tea. "Mmn... Hinata-Chan knows where to buy the best stuff. Since everyone lives here now, it's gotten... better." The clone squirmed slightly, and Yugao gave her a knowing smile.

"I'm glad to hear it... However, we do have business to attend to." Naruto nodded in response, placing her tea to the side just as Yugao did. The woman reached into the kunai pouch on her leg, sliding a red scroll out and starting to open it as she lifted it up.

The scroll was then unrolled and laid across the desk in front of them, revealing a list of locations printed across it with a circle on the far right of each. The scroll had also been rolled towards Naruto, allowing the blonde to read the words without having to try to read upside down. The bottom of the scroll just barely rolled off the end of the desk, hitting slightly against Naruto's knees.

The blonde herself had her head tilted, staring down at the list with a curious look on her face. Yugao gave the girl a moment to read over the scroll completely before she spoke.

"This list is of several locations I have found to be... lacking in terms of protection. If you press your thumb to the circle and channel chakra, it will give you any maps and entrance locations you may need." She paused, watching Naruto nod but not make any movement to press one of the circles. She smirked slightly, saying, "Not that you will need any of that, I think."

Naruto blushed slightly, but nodded in agreement. "I already know how to get into most of these places. Some of them are pretty easy to get into, but... What's this one?" Yugao leaned forward slightly at the question, staring at the words at the end of Naruto's finger.

"Ah." She nodded, leaning back after reading it. "'Quality Protection.' That one is something I think you cannot do yet, but I have found that there isn't much protection when it comes to handling merchants from outside. There _are_ some things that they go through, but only for things that they find harmful, such as poisons. But anything they deem to be harmless..."

"... Is just pushed through like normal." Naruto finished, nodding. "That's how I got all that chocolate in here one time." Yugao smiled slightly at this as Naruto leaned back a bit. "Well, I think it would be best to wait on that one, but I think I could do this one by tonight." She pointed at one of the listings, earning an arched eyebrow from Yugao.

"The wall? Admittedly, I think the wall is the most pressing matter, but... What exactly would you..?" Naruto held up a finger, smiling slyly at the woman.

"Now, now... Where would be the fun in telling you that?" She giggled slightly as Yugao gave her an amused look. The blonde leaned back further, humming quietly to herself. "I think I'll need some stuff, though, and..."

"I can get you anything you need." Yugao interrupted, nodding her head. "The Hokage has given me free access to any resources we need, and all maps of the locations are in that scroll." Naruto nodded slightly in response, smiling as she leaned forward again.

"Alright, then here's what I'll need..."

* * *

It was once again late at night as Naruto slid herself out of the house, smiling slightly as she walked away. She hadn't bothered telling anyone she was going out tonight, though she suspected that Anko and Kurenai already knew what she was going to do. It was actually Hinata that caused the biggest issue, as the girl seemed to instinctively know Naruto was up to something, and refused to sleep because of that feeling.

Thankfully, Naruto had planned on going late at night anyways, so there wasn't much issue in waiting for the girl to pass out. None of the Genin had Naruto's stamina, and all of them were rather tired from the hard training they did during the day, so it had not taken too much of her time to wait.

The blonde had also decided to go with her usual outfit, but flipped the jacket inside out, to allow the black inside to show instead of the orange. A small bag was also attached to her back, the straps going around her arms, and inside was a wide variety of scrolls. She also had her goggles hanging around her neck still, but declined putting them on just yet.

The blonde smiled to herself as she walked along the street, sticking a bit close to the shadows of the buildings nearby as she did. After a few minutes of walking, the girl put her fingers together in a cross, calling out " _ **Kage Bunshin!**_ " and creating seven clones that stood around her, awaiting orders.

The 'original' Naruto let out a slight sigh, shaking her head a bit. While she could create a regular clone without hand seals now, she still found it difficult to pump chakra into them without putting up the cross seal. She could also only make one or two at a time without using the seal, though both of the Jounin assured her that was still quite a feat.

"Alright girls, I've filled you up with enough chakra for the mission. Get outside the wall to designated areas, and we'll start setting up. Do not come to me or pop yourselves prematurely, got it?" That had been a flaw in the last mission, after she had seen those... bodies everywhere. It wasn't one she wanted to repeat, and the clones knew this.

They hastily nodded, giving a quick "Yes, Boss!" before each of them disappeared in a blur. Naruto herself smiled a bit and kept going towards her own location, pulling her goggles up slowly to hide her eyes. While her clones did have the more dangerous mission, she had the longest one, but it was required that the 'original' handled this part.

The chakra required for her part of the mission was much larger, after all.

* * *

It was about twenty minutes later that Naruto finally reached her first 'point' in the mission. The 'point' was a large hidden door on the inside of the wall, which Naruto was currently walking through in order to get inside the wall itself, but not near the gate where most of the Ninja were stationed.

Instead, she was near the back of the wall, somewhere between the Hokage Monument and an area full of houses. A place that was, according to Yugao's notes, completely ignored when it came to protection. With the mountain so close, it was unlikely anyone thought someone would invade from there, despite one of Konoha's greatest enemies being Iwa, who were known for their manipulation of the earth.

But questioning choices was not Naruto's job. She was simply here to make mistakes obvious.

Quietly, but quickly, the girl made her way into the darkness of the wall and slid the door closed behind herself. She looked back and forth for a few moments before nodding her head, creating another clone that looked around curiously.

"Alright." Naruto started, addressing the clone with a slight wave of her finger. "You're going to the right. I'm going to the left. You already know what to do, but... Don't pop yourself until the job is done, got it?" The clone nodded slightly, quickly running towards the right while Naruto herself moved to the left of their starting point.

Contrary to what people thought, the inside of Konoha's wall was not a place where many Ninja found themselves. The wall was massive, but a majority of the structure was rather flat, with the only thing inside of it being support beams to keep it up. Which were currently above the blonde, crossing and sticking out of the inside walls with one very tall support beam going all the way up to the top every dozen feet or so.

There were exceptions, however, to how the wall was constructed. The inside of the wall, about a dozen feet away from where Naruto started, was where small structures inside the wall started to be seen. The structures were always on Naruto's right with a door, which indicated the structures themselves could be seen from the outside of the wall, but not the inside.

They were typically just small square rooms, full of boxes that were either empty, full of dust, or had a few weapons left behind inside them. It just added to the idea that the place was abandoned, but it suited Naruto just fine.

The first room she came across, about five minutes after leaving the door, was completely empty except for the dust that had gathered over the years. Naruto put her hand over her mouth and nose to avoid breathing in too much as she pulled a scroll out of her bag on her back with her free hand.

She channeled some chakra into the scroll before tossing it, closing the door quickly and letting out a sigh as she started to sprint down the wall's hallway again, smirking to herself. _'It'll take about... ten hours to activate fully, which gives me enough time to place the rest.'_ She chuckled to herself, thinking of what kind of reaction the ANBU will have after her 'prank' was complete.

She paused briefly, wondering if her clone was going to have any issues on her own side. She wasn't exactly sure how the wall was constructed on that side. According to the maps Yugao had given her, it seemed the wall actually went _under_ the mountain before popping out of the ground on the other side to complete the circle that surrounded Konoha.

There wasn't much information besides that, it seemed the underground area was just an excuse to have a circle.

 _'Which is weird.'_ Naruto thought to herself, frowning a bit as her hand ran along the dusty wall beside her. _'An underground tunnel would be great to have some sort of... secret base or something. Maybe they felt like it'd be too obvious..?'_ She shrugged after another moment of consideration. _'My clone will find out if there is one or not.'_

It was about an hour later that Naruto found herself at the third room, tossing another scroll inside and closing the door quickly. She smiled to herself, starting to head down the hall again with her arms going behind her head.

 _'So far so good. Haven't run into any guards yet, which is... a bit disappointing, really, but I'm getting closer to the first gate.'_ The blonde thought to herself, shaking her head slightly. The map, and Yugao, both told her that there were no guards up until you got to the front gate. That's where they kept heavy ranged weapons, along with several guards and provisions.

Which is where Naruto would stop, though she still had another room to go before she got into a risky area. Even then, the guards were too far away to hear anything, and it would take most a couple minutes to actually reach where she was going. By then, she would be long gone.

That being said, it took the girl a few minutes to get close to the room she needed to be in the first place, and she could see she reached a point where the wall began to turn to the left. She smiled a bit, about to make that turn when a faint _tap_ of someone walking met her ears.

The blonde frowned a bit, mentally going over the map in her head again as she heard the tap continue, though it sounded like it was walking away from where she was.

 _'There were no guards around this area and it can't be my clone. Who could it be?'_ Slowly, the girl made her way to the corner, keeping her foot steps silent as she made the turn. Down the dark hall, she could see someone standing in the distance, walking away from her. She could only make out the round curve of the figures head and its height, which was a bit taller than herself.

 _'Seems to be wearing a round cloak... ANBU? Yugao-San said they wouldn't be around here.'_ The blonde frowned a bit, crouching low and starting to move quickly but quietly across the ground. Her frown deepened at the sight of a bundle under the figure's left arm. _'Too big to be something peaceful.. Maybe... a bomb?'_

The thought made her feet move faster, and she managed to get just a few feet from the person before they seemed to sense her presence. They spun on their heel as they realized they were being followed and Naruto wasted no time in closing the distance, drawing two kunai from her pouch as she took in the person's form.

They were wearing a cloak, as she thought, with a white but completely blank mask covering their face. The cloak was black, or perhaps a dark brown, and the bundle they were carrying was completely covered in black cloth. It almost seemed to be bandaged up by the cloth to keep it secure.

Naruto did not hesitate in swinging one of her kunai towards the figure, knowing for sure they were not a Konoha Ninja, due to the lack of any Konoha symbol on their body. The cloaked person jumped back once, their cloak opening up in the front to reveal their black leather top and tight Jounin-style pants. There was also a kunai holster on their right leg, and a tanto sticking out from behind their left hip.

The Jinchuuriki frowned as her attack was dodged, but realized that her opponent was a man, or at least a flat-chested woman. There wasn't much muscle on his chest that she could make out from his shirt, but the equipment he wore alone spoke of the danger he was capable of.

They hesitated in retaliating, though she could see their right hand reach for the kunai pouch on their leg. Naruto just held up both kunai, one in each hand, with a frown on her face. "Who are you?" Her question got no response, just a slight tensing of the muscles. "Speak!" She demanded, not bothering to keep her voice down, despite that she wasn't supposed to be in the wall herself.

'Blank', as Naruto mentally labeled him, just stared at her for a long moment before jumping back. He spun on his heel as he landed, tossing two kunai towards Naruto which were easily batted away before bolting down the hallway as fast as he could.

Naruto didn't hesitate in chasing him, tossing her own kunai and putting up a single hand seal with the left hand she threw it with. " _ **Kage Kunai!**_ " She called out, watching the kunai she threw split into a dozen that all flew towards Blank quickly.

The man simply spun and slapped the kunai away with his flowing cloak as they got close enough, knocking them into a nearby wall with several poofs following the slight clang the action caused. After spinning, however, he suddenly jumped towards Naruto and swung a kunai of his own to stab the girl in the chest.

The blonde, having seen the attack coming even in the darkness, blocked it with her own kunai while her empty hand shot towards the bundle he was carrying. This caused Blank to quickly disengage, tossing his kunai at Naruto before running down the hall again.

Naruto growled slightly, pushing herself forward and snatching the kunai Blank threw out of the air as it flew past her. She tossed it right back at its original owner, while a single clone appeared behind her, running to match her but not overtake her.

As the kunai got close to its target, Naruto suddenly jumped to the side just as the clone disappeared, being replaced with the same kunai that had been just a few inches from Blank's back. As he spun again to knock away the kunai he thought was behind him, he flinched in surprise as his cloak wrapped slightly around the form of Naruto's _**Kage Bunshin**_.

The clone herself winced a bit, feeling the heavy form of the cape wrap around her, but it didn't squeeze hard enough to disrupt her insides. _'This thing is layered with metal... How heavy is it?'_ She could feel it was still cloth, just with a lot of metal on the inside for protection.

But it offered no protection from the clone suddenly kicking forward, knocking the man down and shoving him onto the ground. He landed with a heavy thump with the bundle he was carrying sliding across the ground as the clone laid on top of him.

The real Naruto was still a bit away, so the clone wasted no time in jumping for the bundle, rolling once as she wrapped her body around it. She shot to her feet quickly, pulling at the cloth bandages to see what exactly the man was carrying.

 _'It's warm... and seems to be moving? Some kind of animal or...'_

She nearly dropped it in shock as moving two bandages revealed a single, glassy brown eye that stared up at her blankly. Her own blue eyes were widening as her hands hastily moved across the bandages, pulling them apart to reveal the head of a young brown haired child that stared up at her with a blank expression.

Memories of the child reaching up to her in the pit from her last prank in the tunnels started to return, and the clone could feel her body start to shake as she stared into the child's eyes. _'It's... It's the same. This guy... He's responsible. He's...'_ Her thoughts were interrupted as Blank's tanto suddenly slid across her stomach, causing her to explode into smoke.

Naruto was taken back by the sudden influx of memories and stumbled in her run, giving Blank enough time to catch the bundle as it dropped and run quickly down the hall. The blonde did not hesitate for long, however, as she felt rage and sadness run through her body, pushing her forward before she could even fully register what she saw.

"You bastard... Get back here! Give me the child!" She shouted, tossing several kunai which exploded into hundreds as she put her hands up in a familiar seal. She couldn't see past the wall of kunai she just created, but could still hear the sound of a door opening and quickly closing, followed by nothing but the run of air from the kunai she threw.

Cursing under her breath, the girl dispelled the kunai with a flick of her wrist, watching the real ones fly off in the distance before she slid to a stop in front of a door. The same door she heard open and close, which she guessed meant Blank used it to dodge her attack.

 _'This is the last room I was supposed to go to... Any further and the guards will come. But I don't give a shit about that. I need to save that kid."_ Naruto growled a bit, kicking the door open to reveal the room inside. Blank was standing across from her in the empty room, the child resting on the ground behind him against the wall but still staring forward with the same blank expression.

Blank held his tanto up in his right hand while a kunai rested in his left, his body hunched forward as if he was prepared to leap at Naruto. The whiskered Genin grinned darkly, pulling her own kunai out and placing one into each hand as she slid into her own stance, placing one foot forward with her body turned so her right side was pushed a bit closer to her opponent.

"Guess you're done running." The girl noted, her eyes flashing as she shot forward towards him. "Which means you're ready to die!" Her words were complimented by the swing of her kunai towards his side, which was blocked by the man's tanto.

Blank's kunai flew at her left side, but was knocked upward by Naruto's own attack. The sudden force caused the man's hand to fly upward, allowing Naruto to slice her own kunai across the man's side. Her attack only reached his cloak, ripping apart the cloth and revealing the metal underneath which kept Naruto from continuing her slice, but it did not stop her from pushing forward.

What did stop her was the man's tanto pushing her back and slicing towards her extended left arm. He only managed to get in a slight cut with the tip of his tanto, which was only received by a bit of her jacket as she jumped back.

"Bastard." She spat out, tossing one kunai at the man from her right hand. She tossed her remaining kunai into her right hand, and grabbed another from her pouch with her left as Blank dodged the thrown one by jumping to his right. The dodge cost him as he found Naruto's form suddenly beside him, her leg hooking upwards and hitting him hard on the right side of his head.

He flew a bit away from the girl before skidding across the ground, quickly closing the distance again with a quick slice of his tanto. The slice was blocked, then countered as she shoved his arm to the side, turning so her left hip was pushed towards him before her elbow shot up, clipping the bottom of his chin.

The sudden blow caused him to stumble back as his brain rattled, leaving him open for another kick. This kick hit him dead on in the chest, sending him flying into the right side of the room against the wall. He stood there for a moment, his head shaking as he tried to get his bearings, even as he dropped the kunai in his hand.

Naruto had no intention of giving him that moment, and quickly tossed both kunai towards him. One of them clipped his mask hard on the right side, sending a chunk of it flying off and pushing back the top of the cloak he had pulled over the top of his head. A bit of black, slightly spiky hair was seen above a single brown eye that stared blankly at her.

His skin was a bit pale, though it was hard to tell in the darkness, and she could see his eye close in pain as the other kunai hit against his left shoulder. It didn't make it past the metal-layered cloak, but the tip seemed to get stuck inside the cloth.

Blank didn't stay stunned for long, however, and quickly yanked the kunai out of his shoulder, tossing it towards Naruto who hopped to her right to dodge. The man quickly closed the distance again, swinging at her quickly with his tanto now that she had no kunai to block.

Naruto only grinned at this, knocking away his wrist with a quick palm strike, while her body twisted and turned, spinning her once before her left palm slammed into his chest, sending him flying back again. The man grunted a bit at the pain in his chest, but he was once again beside the child he left on the ground, while Naruto was near the doorway again.

Naruto grinned a bit towards him, sliding back into her original stance, minus the kunai. _'Thanks for the techniques, Kurenai-Sensei.'_ She thought to herself, having copied the palm counter from Kurenai herself after the woman did it to her during a spar. The fact that she was able to hold her own against this unknown opponent was definitely boosting her spirits, and she felt confident she could end it.

Blank seemed to have the opposite problem as he shuffled slightly on his feet, seeming to realize he was at a disadvantage. He simply stared at Naruto with his one revealed eye as the two stood across from each other, flinching briefly as Naruto held her hand out.

"Give me the child." She demanded, glaring a bit at him. "If you give me him without a fight, I might not kill you." The man hesitated, his eye narrowing slightly before he slowly started to lean down. Naruto smiled a bit as she saw him grip the child by the top of the bandages surrounding him. "Good, now toss him over here..."

Blank slowly nodded, reaching back slightly and then tossing the boy towards the blonde. However, just as the child left the man's hand, he hastily put up two fingers with the hand he tossed him with. A low sizzling sound was heard as the child flew through the air, and Naruto's eyes widened as dark red markings began to appear on the black cloth surrounding the child.

For Naruto, time seemed to slow down as she saw the two glassy eyes stare at her, as if judging her. She could feel her mouth opening up to shout, but no sound came out while the sizzling seemed to get even louder. She could feel her hand reaching out, trying to grab at the child, just as she had done the last time...

The man's eyes were also on the child, but for a different reason. It was going to be his opening, and that was all that mattered to him.

Time 'resumed' and the child in mid-air suddenly burst into flames mid flight, which exploded outward an instant later. Smoke, blood, flames, and flesh tore through the air, filling the square room completely and blinding both of the people inside.

Blank wasted no time in charging through the smoke, ignoring the slight crunch under his feet as he thrust his tanto forward. His eye shined slightly with joy, showing emotion for the first time, as he felt his blade meet flesh, and he pushed forward to sink it in deeper.

However, as he pushed it in, he suddenly felt something squeeze hard on his wrist just as his fingers hit the flesh he had pierced. He tried to tug back, but found it was held securely in whatever was holding him. He brought his other hand up, starting to reach back to throw another attack, but he hesitated as a spark of red flew into his vision.

The hesitation gave time for another much larger spark to fly past, pushing away the smoke that gathered outside the still opened door. Without the smoke, Blank could see that his tanto had pierced the blonde's left hand, with her fingers clasping tightly around his wrist despite the blade going straight through her palm.

But his eyes were not focused on that, but at the sudden difference in Naruto's face. The whiskers on her face had became darker and more defined and he could see that her fangs had done the same, though he only noticed because of her teeth being bared as she glared harshly at him.

The most noticeable part, and the part that caused Blank to stiffen in fear, was the lack of the blue sapphire eyes that the blonde had before. Now, they were replaced with dark ruby eyes that glared at him with two black slits, promising more pain and suffering than the blue ones had before.

A low growl brought Blank out of his trance, but did nothing to prepare him for Naruto suddenly yanking him forward. The man barely had a chance to try to pull back before Naruto's right fist slammed into his face, shattering what remained of his mask and sending him flying back.

His tanto did not travel with him, and remained in Naruto's hand until the girl yanked it out with a grunt as small sparks of red chakra danced across her skin towards the hole in her palm. The wound quickly began to heal itself closed, leaving not even a scar as Naruto held the tanto up with the same hand that had been stabbed by it.

Blank, on the other hand, was sporting several cuts of his own as the right side of his face had several pieces of his white mask pushed inside it. A majority of his face was now exposed, but coated in thick blood, though he hardly seemed to mind as he quickly got to his feet, pulling out a kunai just as Naruto shot forward.

But when he moved to meet her attack with his kunai, he found his own tanto meeting his attack while Naruto's open palm sliced upwards towards his chest. He had only a brief moment to consider why she would attack with her palm when the sharp claws that her nails had become tore through the metal of his cloak, leaving small cuts along his shirt as well.

The sudden cuts gave him enough time to jerk his head back out of reflex, dodging a blow that would have beheaded him. With a bit of panic to his movements, the man hastily shoved Naruto away, earning another growl as he hopped to his left.

It seemed to be a mistake as Naruto suddenly disappeared, appearing on his right side with her eyes glaring harshly towards him as she tossed the tanto up into the air between them. His eyes followed it briefly before shooting back down to her as she pulled her hands back with her 'claws' outstretched towards him.

Naruto growled angrily, her red eyes flashing as she took a step forward, shouting out her attack. **"** _ **Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken Revised: Chi to Hagane!**_ **"** (Chestnuts Roasting over an open Fire: Blood and Steel)

Her 'claws' blurred forward at her words, slamming hard into Blank's chest, who was forced to simply stand there, kept in place by the thick claws going in and out of his armor.

Her claws were not the only thing that entered his body, however, as the tanto that Naruto had thrown up was being stabbed and then tossed back up into the air with every other attack. This, along with her claws, practically melted the man's cloak and tore open the shirt he wore underneath, revealing the thin bit of body armor under that.

The armor was also torn apart, but not enough to reach his flesh as her technique ended with a double palm strike, sending the man flying back towards the door and out into the hallway. He hit the wall on the inside with a loud crash that sent stone flying and dust everywhere.

Naruto grinned darkly, snatching the tanto out of the air and starting to step towards him as Blank struggled to stand from the small indention he made in the wall. Despite the attack not hitting his flesh, he still felt the heavy blows nearly crush his ribs into dust and the pain showed on his face as he looked up towards Naruto's approaching form.

Naruto's grin widened as she saw the faint bit of fear in the normally empty eyes, and she felt her tongue slightly rub across her sharp fangs as she stepped forward.

" **What's wrong?"** She whispered to the man, though it was more of a growl. Her voice was darker and deeper than she was used to, but she barely paid it any mind as she walked closer, running her claws along the door as she walked past it.

A loud _screech_ was heard as she did this, and she grinned as the man flinched at the sight of her claws digging through the thin metal door so easily, just barely leaving enough metal to keep anyone from seeing through the door.

" **What's wrong?"** She repeated, stopping just at the door way and licking her fangs once again. **"Are you... SCARED _!?_** " She laughed as the man flinched from her sudden increase in volume, watching as he slowly pulled out another kunai from his pouch.

The sight only increased the size of her grin on her face as she took a step forward. **"That's fine. I understand... You can be scared."** She took another step forward, watching the man flinch slightly and start to shrug off the remains of his cloak. **"I don't blame you. Everyone is scared..."** She paused, flexing her right 'claw' slightly as her eyes flashed. **"When they're about to die!"**

Her words were the only warning the man got before she shot forward, her claws slicing right through the kunai as he brought it up to defend himself. His hand followed suit, and he let out a pained gasp for the first time as Naruto's claws ripped through his flesh, tearing apart the man's left hand like it was butter, while red chakra sprayed out into the air mixing with his blood.

Naruto growled a bit, holding the remains of his hand up as she stepped back again, waving it around slightly. Blank just stared up at her, his eyes wide with fear and panic as he gripped the stump that was now his arm with his remaining hand.

The sight just made Naruto growl louder. **"What happened!? I thought you were strong!"** She hissed out, tossing the remains of his hand to his side, making it land beside his feet, and suddenly slicing down towards his shoulder with his own tanto.

The man did nothing to defend himself as the blade tore through his flesh, causing him to let out another pained gasp as he fell onto his rear, his back against the wall as Naruto pulled back again, clicking her tongue slightly.

" **Annoying. So annoying."** She growled out, suddenly gripping the man's throat and pulling up him slowly against the wall while her claws dug into the skin of his neck. **"Fight me. Try to kill me. You worthless mortal, taking away a life as if it was just leaf in the wind for you..."** Her grip tightened as Blank gripped her wrist with his still existing hand, his legs kicking slightly in the air.

The sight just seemed to increase Naruto's anger and she could feel the hilt of the tanto crack slightly as she gripped it. **"Sickening. You make me sick, you worthless peon. You throw away a life, and then struggle so much for your own... But don't worry."**

Her anger suddenly disappeared as she grinned widely, her red eyes flashing as she pulled the tanto up once more. **"I'll make sure it's a little painless."** With that, she pushed the tanto towards the man's head and purposely aimed for his fear filled eyes...

… Only to be stopped just an inch away as another hand gripped her wrist, holding her back from ending the man's life.

The sudden intrusion caused Naruto to jump slightly, having been focused too much on Blank to realize someone had walked up on them. Her eyes quickly shot to the side as she growled loudly, **"Who dares!?"** She shouted, only to flinch as she saw a familiar mask staring down at her and she felt a frown appear on her face at the sight. **"... Cat?"**

Cat nodded slightly, wearing the same outfit she had been wearing when she met Naruto as Yugao Uzuki, but with her mask firmly in place this time. The mask kept Naruto from reading her expression, but she could feel the woman's irritation through her grip alone.

"Yes, it is me..." The woman started, and Naruto visibly relaxed slightly at the sound of Cat's voice. "Release the man. I don't know what he has done, but we do not murder inside the walls without reason... Leave him alive and we can give him to the Hokage." Naruto growled slightly, but let go of Blank's neck, allowing the boy to drop down onto the ground with a thump.

"Good." Cat stated, though she did not release Naruto's wrist as the blonde glared down towards the man again. "Now let go of the blade." The ANBU demanded, a commanding tone to her voice. Naruto just glanced at her, and the woman sighed slightly. "Now, Uzumaki-San, I don't have..."

The woman was cut off as Naruto's hand suddenly shot towards her, just barely missing her chest as she jumped back after releasing Naruto's wrist. "What is the meaning of this? Have you lost your mind, Uzumaki-San?" The woman shouted, starting to reach for the sword on her back as Naruto glared at her with her ruby eyes.

" **You aren't Cat."** She stated simply, holding the tanto up towards the woman. The ANBU paused at that, her hand slowly going back down to her waist and the Jinchuuriki frowned a bit as she heard the woman click her tongue.

"Damn, you got me." The Not-Cat grunted out, rubbing the back of her head with one hand while the other rested on her hip. "Wonder what gave it away?" Naruto snorted slightly at the curiosity in her tone, her eyes narrowing in irritation.

" **If you don't know, then there's no hope for you."** The answer seemed to deflate the woman's attitude a bit, but it seemed to not affect her ability to dodge as she jumped back to avoid a sudden swipe from Naruto's claw. **"Now sit still, so I can cut you apart!"**

"Like I'm going to do that!" The woman gasped out, hopping to the side then shooting past the blonde after she made another swipe at the false ANBU. Naruto growled and turned to face her as the woman stood beside the fallen Blank, chuckling as she stared down at him. "Wow, you really did a number on this one." She whistled slightly, noticing the man was completely unconscious. "Damn."

The compliment just seemed to irritate Naruto further as she growled. **"Since you're here to help him, I can give you the same number..."** Her words caused the woman to snort slightly in amusement, which did make her pause as the false ANBU waved her finger slightly back and forth.

"No, no no~" She cooed out, chuckling slightly. "I'm not here to help him. I'm just here to make sure you don't get to end him." This got an arched eyebrow from the Jinchuuriki, but her eyes widened as the woman suddenly put up a single hand seal and looked down towards Blank's fallen form.

Without calling the Jutsu, or even doing more hand seals, the woman breathed out a heavy stream of flames towards the man's form. The flames quickly surrounded and swallowed him, eating away at his remaining flesh.

Naruto growled slightly, anger flashing in her eyes as she charged forward and swung her claw towards the woman again just as the flames stopped coming from the lips of her mask. The woman gracefully dodged, hopping back with a laugh as she held her hands up.

"Whoa now. As much as I would love to dance with you kiddie, I've got the feeling it would take a long time and time isn't something either of us have." She chuckled a bit as Naruto flinched slightly and the woman placed her hands on her hips once more. "Truth be told, your little tantrum probably attracted a lot of attention. I'm expecting a couple ANBU to be around pretty soon, which means I've got to go."

She grinned a bit, holding her hands up and wiggling her fingers in the air. "After all, I can't be seen by the 'real' Cat, now can I?" Her words just brought a slight growl from the Jinchuuriki and she chuckled softly in response. "Oh, calm down already. All I did was steal your kill."

Her words just brought a slight flinch from the blonde, but surprisingly she seemed to relax slightly as her eyes closed. **"You did, and I have the feeling you did so to prevent anyone from finding something out about his body."** The woman paused at Naruto's words, her fingers stopping as Naruto's red eyes turned to see the remains of Blank's body.

The flames were already dying down, however, and left nothing more than a burn mark on the ground to indicate the man had ever been there at all. The sight caused Naruto's anger to bubble up once more, but she turned as the woman spoke again.

"I'm a bit surprised you can think with all that blood lust going through you. I can smell it from here." She waved slightly in front of her face with her hands, as if to dismiss the odor.

" **You are only smelling the flesh of the child he murdered.** " Naruto bluntly growled out, her eyes flashing slightly as the woman paused again.

After a moment, she shrugged slightly, but her body seemed to regard Naruto with less amusement than it had before. "If it makes you feel better..." She hesitated, rubbing the back of her head slightly. "The kid was long dead before he got blown up. He was just..."

" **A tool."** The woman twitched slightly at the interruption, but noted it was not a question.

"Something like that." She remarked after a moment, shrugging her shoulders. Suddenly, she pulled her mask off, revealing the face of Yugao Uzuki underneath who smirked at Naruto slyly.

Despite the same face, however, Naruto could tell a difference in the voice as the woman spoke. It was... lighter and younger sounding than Yugao's, along with less emotion being withheld from it. "Anyways, see you later, Naruto-Chan. Keep that sexy bloodthirsty look of yours for the next time we meet, alright?" Naruto clicked her tongue at her words, a frown on her face.

" **How would I** know when we're going to meet again?" Naruto questioned, her eyes fading back to their regular sapphire shade and her voice returning to normal as red sparks danced across her skin. The change didn't even seem to phase the woman, and Naruto paid it no mind at all. "I have no clue what you look like, after all."

The woman seemed to consider her words, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Hm, well, I'll tell you of course. But be sure to keep that look!" She chuckled slightly, sliding her mask on but keeping it up a bit to show her mouth as she licked her lips. "Let's go on a date next time we meet, Naruto-Chan."

The blonde just glared at her, clenching the handle of the tanto again. "I don't date people like you... who waste life like that." The woman frowned slightly at her words, letting out a sigh.

"That's too bad, Naruto-Chan... Because I think we'd get along pretty well... Ah well." She shrugged, her form slowly fading into darkness as she lowered her mask and began to walk backwards. "Bye, bye!" She called out, just as the shadows swallowed her form.

Naruto just shook her head, glancing once at the remains of Blank's form, before she stepped back into the room the two had fought in before. The blonde had to bite back a scream as she saw there were no remains of the child on the ground on the inside of the room, either. Just a burn mark, very similar to the one left behind by Blank.

 _'That bitch destroyed everything...'_ Naruto thought angrily to herself, though she frowned as she held the tanto in her hand up in front of her face. _'Well... Not everything. But...'_ She shook her head, putting the blade into the pack on her back before pulling out the last scroll that had been inside it.

"No matter what happens, I have to complete the job." She muttered to herself, unrolling the scroll and tossing it into the room. She turned and began to walk out, giving the burn mark inside one last look...

… before closing the door behind herself and walking away.

* * *

 **Chapter END!**

 **Originally, there was going to be a split halfway, giving you a short chapter followed by the "regular" chapter that had all the action in it. But I decided that I had made you guys wait too long and just shoved them all together. As a result, though, you aren't getting the next "Extra" until next chapter. Sorry~**

 **Admittedly I haven't written up to my milestone either, being busy with games and what not, but I felt I made you wait too long. Next chapter might not come out for a bit, or be rather short but with added extras, though!**

 **Fun Facts of the Wall of Konoha: The rooms Naruto tosses scrolls into are, in fact, a sort of bunker type building. While they were also used for storage, there's a thin layer of the wall that can be lifted up into a small rectangle shape with a Jutsu. This allows for flames, water, oil, ect to be tossed out from the safety of inside the wall to fight against invaders, or giant demons. They haven't been used in 12 years.**

 **Anyways! Tell me what you think and I hope you enjoyed it!**


	18. Nightmare Report

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

 _ **Notes at bottom!**_

* * *

Naruto sighed to herself as she opened the door to her home, her footsteps silent as she began to slide her clothing off, starting with the bag on her back. A clone appeared beside her as she got half way through her clothes, and it quickly began to pick up a set of discarded pajamas beside the door on the inside.

The clone was soon putting those pajamas onto the real Naruto, who sighed softly again as she pulled the rabbit cap onto her head while the clone disappeared in a quiet poof of smoke. Naruto gave the smoke a glance before heading towards the bedroom, shaking her head slightly.

 _'Won't be long before the other clones disperse. I had better get some sleep before then, and then report to Jiji tomorrow.'_ The blonde thought to herself, opening the door to her room and quietly closing it behind herself as she made her way inside.

She smiled slightly at the sound of Hinata's soft breathing, her eyes lingering on the curled up figure laying on the bed beside her own. Carefully, the Jinchuuriki slid herself onto her own bed, laying on her side and staring at the peaceful face of the Hyuuga Heiress.

A sudden image of Hinata being the one tossed towards her from Blank's grip, flashing red before exploding before her eyes suddenly flickered in her mind, and she bit back the urge to whimper. Her hand gripped at the fabric of her shirt, just over her own heart as a faint line of red electricity bounced across her hand where Blank's tanto had stabbed.

 _'I won't let it happen... I won't lose anyone important to me.'_ Naruto silently vowed to herself, closing her eyes as images flickered in her mind. _'I won't lose Ino-Chan, Jiji, Anko-Sensei, Kurenai-Sensei...'_ She opened her eyes, her hand raising up and gently brushing a strand of Hinata's hair out of the Heiress's face, causing her to scrunch her nose up slightly before her head instinctively pressed itself against Naruto's palm.

Naruto smiled to herself, keeping her hand there briefly as she thought, _'I won't lose you either, Hinata-Chan. I promise.'_ Hinata seemed to nod slightly, as if hearing Naruto's silent vow, causing the blonde to jerk her hand back with a slight blush as she realized what she was doing.

She briefly rubbed her palm with her finger tips before shaking her head, closing her eyes as she settled back into her bed. It wasn't long before she was fast asleep, her breathing joining a rhythm with Hinata's own...

Until the nightmares began.

* * *

Nightmares weren't something Naruto was unused to. Being chased by a random drunk, being treated worse than anyone else, and having to deal with the constant sneers of the people around her much younger self had caused a bit of trauma within the girl's mind that faded over time.

But while the act of having friends and companions in the academy had influenced the nightmares to become more... positive in recent years, it was rare that any of them would include those around her The last one that did was a dream about doing a prank on Sasuke to make him appear in a pink dress...

A feat she ended up doing for real, though she was the only one that saw it due to the Uchiha deciding to just skip school entirely.

However, the current 'dream' was not one she enjoyed... and definitely not one she would wish to make real.

Images of her friends burning before her eyes, each glowing red before suddenly exploding into red smoke while Naruto herself was bound in place, held tightly by thick iron chains. Her cries of pain were muffled by a thick cloth around her mouth and the Not-Cat was chuckling beside her, running her thin fingers through Naruto's blonde hair.

Not-Cat's own hair was a bright white, rather than the lovely purple the real Yugao had, and her voice was the same younger voice that held more emotion than the real Cat did. "See, Naruto-Chan? I told you we would meet again... and this time you are powerless.. Although I guess you were last time too." The woman taunted, grinning as Naruto's harsh blue eyes glared in her direction.

Not-Cat just shrugged the intense gaze off, chuckling as the Hokage Tower burned in the background behind her. "It's your own fault for being so weak, you know? You have to get stronger, and hold onto that blood lust. You need to..."

The woman was cut off as a large red bolt of electricity shot through her chest, causing her to gasp as she flew backwards into the flames in the distance. Naruto's blue eyes widened as she looked around for the source of the attack, only to pause as she saw the flames dying down as waves of red energy seemed to wash over them.

But soon the world began to blacken and disappear before Naruto's eyes, leaving nothing but two bright ruby red eyes staring down into her own from the darkness. The slitted eyes stared down at her with irritation, as if her state had insulted them in some way.

But Naruto was still bound, and could only offer a confuse stare as the eyes closed, disappearing into the darkness...

* * *

Naruto awoke with a frown, her gaze meeting her ceiling as it seemed her body shifted onto its back some time during the night. A quick scan of the area revealed that Hinata had already woken up and began her morning routine, leaving nothing but the slight crack in the door frame to even show she had been in the room at all.

The blonde shook her head slightly, getting out of bed slowly, only to fall right back onto it as she felt the wave of memories crash into her as her mind fully registered them. Vague and solid images mixed together as she laid there, her eyes crossing briefly as she went over the memories of her clone that went to the right of the inner wall.

It seemed that there was almost nothing in the tunnel that went under the Hokage Monument, just stone. Yet, oddly enough, it seemed the area was... cleaner than the area the real Naruto had gone down. Less dust and empty boxes. The clone had focused on its mission instead of investigating further, and it seemed the other clones had finished their own jobs.

Naruto rubbed her head slightly, frowning as she sat up in her bed. _'It seems I've got about...an hour or so before everything goes to hell. Maybe less. I had better report it to Jiji before then.'_ She hopped up to her feet, shaking of the wave of dizziness from the memories in her head as she made her way to the bathroom.

But as she opened the door to her bed room, she stumbled slightly as she saw Hinata's face just inches from her own, the girl blinking slightly in surprise at the sight of Naruto.

Hinata was the first to recover, smiling with a soft blush on her face. "Oh, N... Naruto-Chan... I was just co... coming to wake you up..." She muttered, holding up a small bundle of clothing up to the blonde. "Here are some clothes... for uh, your sh... shower..."

Naruto blinked a few times, accepting the clothes and giving Hinata a weak smile as a faint image of the girl standing in front of a burning Konoha flickered in her mind. She didn't let her discomfort show on her face as she nodded her head.

"Thanks, Hinata-Chan... uh, I have to go talk to the Hokage though, after I wash up, so I don't think I can help with breakfast today..." Hinata frowned slightly at the news, nodding her head sharply.

"Okay, I'll make up s... something fa...fast for you then." The Heiress stated, turning to walk back to the kitchen.

Now it was Naruto's turn to blush as she shook her head. "No, it's fine, Hinata-Chan. I'll get something on my way back." Hinata frowned towards her, nodding slowly again as she stepped out of the blonde's way.

"If you say so, Naruto-Chan... and... are you okay? You were..." She paused as Naruto stepped past her towards the bathroom door, hesitating for only a moment before continuing her sentence. "You were.. ki...kicking a lot in your sleep." Naruto stopped at the door way, keeping Hinata from seeing her eyes widen as she rested her hand on the door handle.

Instead, she only let Hinata hear the soft chuckle that escaped her throat, keeping all the nervousness out of it but not off her face. "I'm fine, Hinata-Chan. Just had a bit of a weird dream is all. I'll be fine." Hinata frowned a bit at the blonde's words, staring at Naruto's back as the blonde made her way inside the bathroom.

The Heiress was certain _something_ was up with the blonde, but she wasn't the type to pry.. and she was sure Naruto would be rather stubborn about the whole thing. She sighed slightly to herself, heading off to the kitchen to start breakfast, pouting slightly as she glanced at the aprons hanging on the wall.

 _'Oh well... We'll cook together later tonight.'_ She thought to herself, smiling a bit as she slid into her regular routine of cooking. It wasn't long before Naruto exited the bathroom, wearing her regular 'Kunoichi' outfit and smiling as she walked by the kitchen.

"I'm heading out, Hianta-Chan. I'll be back later." She announced, earning a nod from Hinata who flipped a pancake over in the pan in front of her.

"Okay, Na... Naruto-Chan. See you lat... later." Naruto smiled a bit at the back of the girl, pausing as she placed her hand on the door handle. Briefly, the blonde considered telling the Hyuuga about her dream... but decided against it, and instead quickly left the house without another word.

She didn't really notice the worried glance Hinata sent her way as the door came to a close.

* * *

Naruto sighed as she walked into the 'waiting room' just outside of the Hokage's office, feeling the weight of the numerous glares that were sent her way on her trip over. In hind sight, she should have just transformed herself to make the trip, to avoid those stares, but it only crossed her mind as she reached the tower.

Even now, she was getting a dirty look from the one other person in the room, who was the secretary that took care of some incoming paper work... and helped filter in and out people who wanted to meet with the Hokage.

 _'Which means I have to go through her first...'_ Naruto thought in irritation, having dealt with the woman only once before without a disguise... and it wasn't pleasant. But the girl still made her way up to the woman's desk, a slight frown as she briefly examined her.

The woman was a decent height, a bit shorter than the Hokage himself if Naruto was any judge, and had brown hair held up in a tight bun. Her eyes were slightly covered by round glasses which shined slightly as she glared at Naruto, and her outfit was a simple brown blouse and knee-length brown skirt, though she typically wore brighter colors.

The woman was usually very positive and … cheerful, until Naruto came by. The blonde had never done a prank to the woman, excluding some that affected the entire Hokage Tower, but the woman seemed to hate her none the less. Her name, if the Jinchuuriki recalled correctly, was Sono.

Naruto sighed a bit, closing her eyes. "I need to meet with Jiji. Is he busy?" The woman stiffened at Naruto's question, sniffing slightly as she turned her gaze down to a small stack of papers on her desk.

"Whether or not he is busy is none of your concern, Uzumaki. He has no time for someone like you." The woman coldly stated, causing Naruto's eye to twitch slightly.

"I didn't ask if he had time for me. I said I need to meet with him, and if he's busy with someone else then I'll wait. That's it." The blonde responded, her voice dangerously low as she opened one eye to stare at the woman. If the woman felt threatened, it didn't show on her face as she picked up the stack of papers, tapping them slightly on the desk to straighten them out.

After they were straightened, the woman placed them back down on the desk and regarded the blonde with a cold gaze. "I only know he's too busy to deal with you, Uzumaki." She stated, earning a soft growl from the Genin.

"I don't recall deciding the Hokage's crap being your job..." The girl started, leaning towards the woman slowly. Sono merely stared, her gaze flat as the blonde growled lowly. But as the blue-eyed Jinchuuriki opened her mouth to speak, a sudden hand on her shoulder caused her to hesitate and turn her head, staring into the masked face of an ANBU that stared down at her impassively, due to the lack of emotion on his Rabbit-like mask.

The two females met the gaze quietly as the ANBU removed his hand from Naruto's shoulder, a soft cough escaping his throat. "Uzumaki-San, go ahead inside. The Hokage is expecting you." The Genin stared silently at him for a moment before giving Sono a triumphant smirk, not bothering to talk to the woman as she turned and started to head towards the Hokage's office.

Sono merely stared at her back with a frown, not bothering to hide the annoyance on her face from the ANBU who still stood in front of her. Sono's attention was brought back to the enforcer as an envelope fell onto her desk, and she stared curiously down at it for a moment before looking back up at him.

"What is this?" She questioned, lifting the slightly heavy envelope up.

The ANBU took a moment to respond, letting out a soft sigh. "Your paycheck. Your last one. Please pack your things and remove yourself from the office." Sono gasped at the sudden command, her jaw dropping slightly as she stood up, slamming her hands on her desk.

"What!? What do you mean my last paycheck? Have I not...?" Rabbit held up a hand, silencing the woman with another sigh escaping his mask.

"Uzumaki-San was right. Your job is not to decide who Hokage-Sama has time for, merely to write it down. You have over stepped your job boundaries for the last time. Remove yourself from the tower by this afternoon." He paused, staring at the gaping woman before giving a slight bow. "You will be missed. Good day."

Sono could only sit down, going limp in what used to be her chair as the ANBU vanished from sight. It wasn't the first time she had been warned about treating the Uzumaki child poorly, but...

With a sigh, the woman slowly began to pack up her pictures from the desk, silently swearing to try and appeal to the Hokage one last time after Uzumaki left.

 _'After all... It's all I got left.'_

* * *

Sarutobi frowned slightly as he leaned back in his chair, staring at the pacing blonde in front of him curiously. After the young woman entered, he had expected a happy and excitable hug thrown in his direction with details of the latest 'prank' being told to him. He had received a notice from Yugao that the blonde was working on one last night, and would report to him in the morning, but...

This was far from what he expected.

The blonde's entire form screamed distress and depression, meaning that something had happened once again to ruin the girl's mood during the prank itself. A thousand possibilities ran through the man's mind before he silenced them, deciding the waiting for the girl to speak would be the best thing to do.

And so he did, for about five minutes. Naruto had paced back and forth the entire time, and only took a seat after glancing at the Hokage for possibly the hundredth time. The girl fiddled a bit with her pants before sighing, leaning back in her chair. After another moment of waiting, the blonde finally spoke.

"I... did a prank last night. But..." She paused and clicked her tongue slightly. Sarutobi smiled a bit at the annoyed expression on her face and waved his hand slightly.

"I'm aware you were going to... But only because of Cat. So tell me about what happened." The man was certain something happened that wasn't 'part of the plan.' The way she was hesitating, her expression, and even the way her eyes glanced to the side when she spoke were clear signs.

She was... nervous. Extremely so, if he was any judge, of what she was about to tell him. This either meant the prank itself went wrong, or...

Her voice interrupted his thoughts, but confirmed them at the same time as she let out a heavy sigh, "I ran into someone... Someone who had a child with them." She clicked her teeth slightly as Sarutobi's eyes narrowed, though he gestured for her to continue. Her eyes lowered as she finished, staring at the ground in anger and despair. "A child that was covered in explosives."

Hiruzen felt his heart jump slightly at the words, but kept his face neutral as he placed his hands over top of each other and leaned forward in his seat. "Start from the beginning. I want full details." The man's voice had quickly changed from the kind-caring grandfather to a man speaking to a Ninja... A Ninja who had seen something horrifying.

That Ninja could only gulp, nodding her head slightly as she began to speak. She told of her discussion with Cat first, saying the woman had given her a list of potential spots to prank and all of which had been pushed under the rug as security risks by Cat's captain. This was something Sarutobi marked down mentally to take care of as quick as possible in order to keep these things from becoming a huge issue without Naruto's assistance, but he kept that to himself.

The blonde then went on to detail her initial plan of sending various clones all over the wall, starting with a majority of them scaling the top of the wall and going around to the outside. This was something that was mostly over looked, as no sentry ever expected a threat to come from the inside. But, according to Naruto, there were no sentries on the top of the wall to stop her anyways as most of them seemed to be focused on only the gates.

The real issue came up as Naruto described her travel to the inside of the wall.

"The entrance to the wall on the inside that is beside the mountain is pretty unprotected and easy to get into. It also leaves a lot of room completely unguarded where people could just sneak in... But all the stuff seemed to be really dusty, so no one has been there recently unless they just covered their tracks carefully." Naruto explained, her feet swaying back and forth slightly on her chair as she stared up towards the ceiling.

"But my clone that went to the right didn't find anything in the tunnel that goes under the mountain. There was a bit of rock crumbling in a few places, but nothing really stuck out that I can remember..." She hummed thoughtfully, her eyes closing. "But my job in the inside of the wall was to place a few scrolls I had Cat make for me, though I did a bit of tinkering to them." She grinned as she dug into her Kunai pouch, pulling out a copy of the scrolls she had tossed into the wall's rooms.

Sarutobi's eyebrow arched as she began to describe the scroll, unrolling it so he could see the various seals printed within. "Most of these are just storage seals, but when chakra is sent through them, they all fuse together into one big storage seal. This means the contents get all mixed up and then... bam!" She tossed the scroll up, grinning as it unraveled in the air above.

Hiruzen could only watch in fascination as the scroll exploded into a pink mist which quickly evaporated into the air, heading upwards quickly and hitting against the ceiling of his room. That caused it to promptly turn a bright pink color with a black eyed smiley face staring down at him from above.

Sarutobi chuckled softly at the silly expression it gave him, and smiled towards its creator. "What causes this, if I may ask? And it seems a little small for something as large as the wall." Naruto's grin grew at his words, her depression briefly forgotten as her eyes sparkled with excitement at the chance to explain her prank.

"See, that was the smallest one. The ones I tossed in the wall are like... ten times bigger, and they spread out more. But I did this by mixing a bunch of the paints together along with an imprint of a picture."

The Hokage blinked slightly, his head tilting curiously to the side. "An imprint?"

"Well..." Naruto hummed, rubbing her chin. "More like... an overlay, I guess? Basically if you put a picture over a storage seal, then the stuff that comes out presses against it and gets stuck on it. So I put pictures over the storage seals and when the stuff comes out, it keeps the picture there by painting everything around it on the surface it hits."

"Ah... Similar to a stamp, then?"

Naruto shrugged slightly, kicking her feet again. "I guess. But I put lots together and Cat gave me a seal that swaps out stuff... I should really learn how to do stuff like that myself. It's really neat." Sarutobi chuckled slightly, nodding his head slowly.

"Seals are very interesting, but complicated..." He paused, tapping his fingers slightly on his desk. "If you'd like, I could get a tutor for you. It's something a _**Kage Bunshin**_ could handle, so it shouldn't interrupt your other training too much." Naruto's eyes lit up at the man's words and she hastily nodded, grinning slightly.

"Yeah! That'd be great. But maybe a bit later, I've been doing a lot of training lately as it is..." She shook her head slightly, "Not to say I don't want to train more, but..."

"You still need some time to rest, I understand." Hiruzen agreed, chuckling slightly. Slowly, he waved his hand, saying "Continue your tale, please."

Naruto's grin instantly fell as she remembered what she was talking about, her hands falling down to her lap, "Oh, right..." She hummed softly, drumming her fingers against her knees. "Well, the scrolls I used inside the wall are going to be much bigger and push open the doors I closed... Or that's what they're supposed to do, at least. But anyways..."

The blonde gulped slightly, her eyes lowering to the floor. "It was when I was going to the fourth room that I ran into someone... They were wearing a cloak, black I think, that had a lot of metal woven into it and a clear white mask. They looked a lot like ANBU." Naruto did not see the Hokage's face darken at her words, as she was staring at the ground still, but her expression fell further as she continued her story.

"He was holding a bundle... and I didn't see a Konoha mark on him, so I didn't think he was one of our Ninja. Plus Cat said there were no guard patrols around that area. So I went at him and he started to run really far..."

The Hokage's face continued to darken as Naruto explained how she caught the bundle with one of her clones, and how it was revealed to be a child wrapped up. She continued to go onto how she cornered the man and handled him in Taijutsu, which the Hokage smiled at as he heard the girl's own pride at being able to handle her first real fight so soundly.

But the smile fell quickly as Naruto began to shake and he could feel her chakra starting to rise as she gripped her own knees tightly.

The girl licked her lips slightly, trying to keep them wet as she spoke. "He seemed to know he was losing, so I told him to hand over the child... He agreed, but when he tossed the kid at me... he..." She swallowed heavily, her eyes closing as the scene replayed in her mind.

"Deep breathes, Naruto-Chan... What happened?" The Hokage whispered, his hand suddenly resting on the girl's head as he knelt down beside her. Naruto didn't know when he even moved from his spot behind the desk, but she was glad he was close as she could barely feel her voice coming out as she spoke up once more.

"He... blew it up. The... The bastard... wrapped the child up with explosive notes... and detonated them... Just to get to me." The girl was shaking now and shuddered slightly as Hiruzen pulled her head against his chest, holding her shoulder gently with his left hand and stroking her hair slowly with her right. "It... It was horrible. There was so much..."

"I know, Naruto-Chan, I know... There are many horrors in this world..." The old man muttered softly, feeling his heart break slightly as he saw the tears going down his grand daughter's face. But she was not the first child he had to comfort, and his duty as Hokage allowed him to inquire further, though with a very soft voice. "What happened after that, Naruto-Chan?"

The blonde sniffed slightly, shaking her head. "It's... hard to remember. But I snapped... I just wanted to kill him so badly. I stabbed him and ripped his cloak apart with my hands..." She held said hands up with the palms facing upwards as she stared down at them. The fingers slowly curled into fists as she spoke once more, "I just... wanted him dead... But..."

As she paused, Hiruzen pulled her slightly closer, stroking her hair a little slower. "But..?" He asked curiously, though he felt a little better from the girl's words as it seemed she had not experienced her first kill yet. Not if she was adding "But" to her story.

That relief was short lived as her next words came out.

"Someone else showed up... A woman. She pretended to be Cat, and she knows what Cat sounds like... and looks like under the mask. She... tried to get me to stop hurting that guy, just..." She paused, clicking her tongue slightly, feeling the Hokage's hand tighten slightly on her shoulder."Just so she could kill him herself."

Hiruzen frowned, starting to stand up slowly as he considered Naruto's story. "Did she say anything?"

Naruto shook her head slightly, watching the Hokage walk back behind his desk. "Not really... But she used a _**Katon**_ Jutsu without any seals or words... She used it to burn the guy's body to nothing." The girl reached behind herself, digging through her kunai pouch and holding up the tanto Blank had left behind.

The holster for it was gone, having been on Blank when he was burned to death, but the blade was a shiny silver color with not even a scratch on it. The handle was covered in a black cloth and the small hilt was a soft gold. Hiruzen arched his eyebrow at Naruto as she held the tanto up, examining it herself since it was the first time she had seen it in the light.

"I got this from him... The guy I fought. I don't think the woman cared too much about it, but..."

"May I see it?" Naruto nodded slightly, handing the small blade to the Hokage who held it up towards the window with a soft _hum_ escaping his throat. After a few moments of turning it left and right, he held it back out towards Naruto who slowly took it back. "I'm afraid this won't help us find the man's origins, as that tanto is merely a high quality one you can buy from many shops... We could trace back the origin of it, but..." He paused and Naruto was quick to fill in, staring down at the blade with a frown.

"But it's probably part of a chain and wouldn't have been tracked to see who bought it..." The Hokage nodded slightly and Naruto sighed, sliding the tanto back into her pouch. "I guess I'll keep it then... I might find a use for it."

Hiruzen chuckled softly, sitting down behind his desk once more. "A tanto is a fine weapon and despite how you got it, I'm sure it will do you well. Now..." The man paused, starting to toy with his pipe sitting on his desk. "You've told me quite a report, Naruto-Chan, and if your words are true then it seems our infiltrators may be deeper in our system than I thought... I'll be running a check on some things to see if I can get to the bottom of this."

Naruto nodded slightly, her eyes narrowing slightly as she gripped her knees again. "And then we'll put those bastards where they belong, right?" Hiruzen nodded again, holding his pipe up and examining it slowly in the light.

"Indeed, I plan on making an example of those that would wish to treat Konoha... and humans in general in such a horrifying way. But..." The man sat his pipe down, frowning as his visage of Hokage fell and his worried expression showed on his face, which now showed his grandfatherly feelings underneath. "Are you going to be alright? Seeing such things at your age isn't exactly..."

Naruto shook her head, smiling softly at the man. "I think... I think I'll be okay, Jiji. I just need to..." She shook her head slightly. "I just want to get them... I want to stop them." Hiruzen nodded slightly, though his worried expression remained.

"We will, Naruto-Chan. Now I'm sure your team is worried about you, so you should get back to them for your missions. Try to take it easy today, alright?" Naruto's smile grew a bit as she nodded, hopping to her feet.

"Hai, Jiji. I'll see you later." With that, the girl quickly made her way out of the door, only glancing back briefly. Hiruzen smiled at her as she did, but his smile fell as she closed the door behind herself, leaving him alone in his office.

Not for long, however, as the door soon opened again, showing the face of his secretary Sono, who smiled nervously from the door way. "Uh... May I speak to you, Hokage-Sama?" The old Kage frowned slightly at her, having heard what was said through the door, but the meek desperation in the girl's voice caused him to sigh as he slowly held his hand up.

"Come in..."

* * *

 _ **Chapter... END!**_

 _ **Hey everyone! Sorry for the super late update, I meant to post this back on the 25th of last month despite not hitting my milestone, but … I got distracted by some personal stuff. Sorry about that!**_

 _ **A spark of flame has started again, however, as I've gotten back into reading. Reading leads to writing, so potentially look forward to some stuff! Now I did promise an "extra" for this chapter, but I ended up not quite finishing it, so it'll be on the next one... Potentially, at least. The next chapter is going to be quite important, so it's possible the length will be too long for me to put the extra in there. Reasonably, at least.**_

 _ **Sorry again and hopefully the long wait didn't keep you uninterested in my story! Heck, just go back and read the whole thing if you forgot about me! I do that all the time. Might even end up re-reading my own story start to finish to get myself back on the plot train I had.**_

 _ **Looking back at stuff I wrote so long ago makes it seem like it was written by a different person, too, so it's still interesting! But anyways! Thanks for reading and hopefully the next chapter won't take nearly as long to come out!**_

 _ **Tell me what you think!**_

 _ **Oh, and for any questions on "Why did she wait until the next day?"...**_

 _ **Well, I have an explanation for it, but I'll see if anyone can guess!**_


	19. The past is weak The heart is strong

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

 ** _Edit: Noticed a typo and fixed it!_**

* * *

 _ **Some time later...**_

Naruto sighed to herself as she stretched, pushing her arms high above her head as she left the stand of Ichiraku Ramen. It was refreshing to the girl to have so much ramen to herself, and she even got several bowls for free after fixing up the stand's stools once more with her tools. It was strange they all suddenly needed tightening, but...

 _'Well, it doesn't matter. I'm happy to help and they seemed glad too.'_ Naruto thought to herself, grinning a bit as she scratched at her cheek. She shivered from the feeling of her own fingers hitting against the 'whiskers' that were on her skin and quickly lowered her hand with a slight blush raising to her face. _'Forgot how sensitive those are...'_

Thinking of the whiskers caused her frown to return and another sigh escaped her as she placed her hands behind her head, walking down the street towards the usual location Team 8 met at. Her gaze went up towards the clouds above and allowed her to ignore the glares or nervous expressions she passed by.

 _'That one looks really fluffy... Shikamaru would like that one...'_ She thought quietly to herself, her eyes closing slightly as she walked. But as another cloud began to drift by in her vision, her eyes snapped open and she stumbled as the world turned a light red shade and flames began to appear in the air.

She hastily rubbed at her own eyes, trying to deny what she was seeing... and surprisingly, the flames and red world disappeared completely, being replaced by the regular Konoha she was used to. She shook her head again, starting to walk faster towards her destination as she bit down on her lip.

 _'I won't let it happen. I can't... I won't let them kill the people close to me...'_ The girl vowed to herself, feeling her heart being squeezed as the pathway to the training field came into view. She could _feel_ her her breathing becoming heavier as she made her way down the pathway and panted slightly as she reached the opening in the field, where she could see the three wood posts in the distance.

Only one figure seemed to be by the posts, which gave the girl a bit of panic as she made her way towards it. Though she felt her body relax slightly as she saw smiling face turn towards her with the bright lavender eyes shining towards her.

Hinata Hyuuga's smile grew as Naruto got closer. "Hello, Naruto-Chan." The girl greeted, her head tilting to the side slightly. She was currently leaning up against the middle post in the field and her jacket was currently off, revealing her rather shapely body being held tightly in a thin dark purple fabric. Fishnet covered her shoulders, which rose up as she pushed herself away from the post.

Naruto smiled weakly as the girl walked up to her, giving a slight wave. She was unprepared for the dark haired girl to suddenly lean up with their faces inches apart with her eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. "Er... Yes, Hinata-Chan?" The blonde questioned, leaning back slightly from the girl's gaze.

Hinata stared for a moment longer before pulling back, frowning softly at her friend. "Are you a.. alright, Naruto-Chan?" Naruto blinked slowly at the girl's words, nodding slightly. Hinata let out a soft _hm_ , staring at the blonde for a moment longer before turning her gaze to the side.

Naruto squirmed slightly, rubbing at the back of her neck as she looked back and forth across the field. "Uh... Where is everyone else..?" The nervousness in her voice was not missed by her teammate, but Hinata kept her face neutral as she glanced at Naruto out of the corner of her eye.

"I..Ino-Chan is t... training with Kurenai-Sensei, and An... Anko-Sensei went out to get something..." At Naruto's "Ah", the Hyuuga turned her head back towards the blonde with her frown deepening as she studied the girl in front of her. She was rather good at seeing the bits of emotion Naruto tried to hide.

The two had been friends for years, after all.

She could tell that Naruto was distressed and very sad, but not willing to come out and say it. Hinata sighed slightly, placing her hands behind her back as she gave her friend a slight pout, causing the blonde to blink a bit in confusion.

"Eh? What's up, Hinata-Chan?" Naruto questioned, voicing her confusion out loud.

Hinata squirmed slightly, leaning back against the post again. "Do... do you think I'm weak, Naruto-Chan?" Her question caused Naruto to flinch slightly, rubbing the back of her head.

"Of course not, Hinata-Chan, I just..."

"Then why aren't you te... telling me what's wrong..?" The smaller girl muttered, staring at her friend with her eyes narrowed slightly. "Y... You never keep s... stuff f...from people unless y... you're worried about them." The girl took a step forward again, her cheeks puffing up slightly as she pouted at Naruto. "D... Did you forget what you said t...to me? That..."

"That you shouldn't look down on people..." Naruto interrupted, finishing the words for Hinata. Naruto smiled slightly, staring at Hinata fondly. A shorter and teary eyed Hinata replaced the one in front of her for a moment, as she recalled the years the two spent together.

Out of all of Naruto's friends, the girl knew Hinata had came the longest way. Even if she still stuttered, got nervous, and fainted quite often... She was still far ahead of where she had been before... But..

"I'm sorry, Hinata-Chan, I just..." The girl weakly muttered, staring down at the ground. "I just have..."

This time it was Hinata that interrupted, with her palm shoving hard against the blonde's chest and sending her stumbling back with her eyes widening. Naruto gasped softly, steadying herself quickly as she stared at Hinata with wide eyes.

"W.. What are you..?" Hinata let out a _huff_ at Naruto's questioning tone and sent another palm strike towards the blonde, though this one was dodged by a quick step back. "H.. Hinata-Chan, why are you..!?"

The pained tone to her voice made Hinata pause, but she shook her head, clearing her thoughts even as her face began to turn a light shade of red. The girl slid into the basic Shaedo no Ken stance, though it was mixed with the traditional Hyuuga Jyuuken as well. Her right arm was held up towards Naruto, with her palm and fingers sticking up towards the sky and her left arm was bent slightly beside her body, but held closely for any incoming attacks.

Hinata licked her lips slightly as she took a step towards the wide-eyed Naruto, who took a step back as Hinata approached. "I... I'm proving I'm not weak, N... Naruto-Chan. J... Just like you did at that time... I d... don't know." She paused, in her movement and words, and frowned towards her friend. "I don.. don't know what has you troubled... But I w... want..." She paused again, though this time to the red blush spreading across her face. "I want... m... My Naruto-Chan t... to be happy. S... so... I'll prove... I'm not weak!"

Naruto blinked, her own cheeks turning a soft red as Hinata jumped forward, jabbing her fingers towards Naruto's chest. But this time the blonde managed to dodge completely with a quick hop backwards. "I... I don't want to fight, Hinata-Chan! I … I know you aren't weak, but..!"

Hinata didn't respond, but her face darkened as she quickly closed the distance between the two. Naruto gasped as she saw the chakra flaring to life on the Hyuuga's finger tips, knowing that Hinata was seriously going for damage. A real fight.

The blonde bent herself backwards, tilting her body slightly to the side to dodge the fingers going for her right shoulder. She wasn't prepared for Hinata's other arm to jab towards her, actually shoving her fist into Naruto's chin.

The hit sent the girl flying backwards slightly, but she quickly recovered with her feet hitting against the ground. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the extended arm in front of her, with her own hand rubbing slightly against her chin. "Y... You punched me." She muttered in disbelief, causing Hinata to _huff_ again.

"A.. Anko-Sensei s... said I should go for any hits. Not... Not just Tenketsu..." Hinata explained, sliding back into her stance. "N.. Now fight with me, Naruto-Chan..!" Naruto let out a squeak as Hinata jumped towards her again.

Quickly, the blonde worked her body backwards while moving it left and right to dodge the fingers rapidly poking towards her arms and spun herself to the right once as a fist came towards her side as she turned to dodge the fingers.

She used the spin to kick herself away from the aggressive Hyuuga, but found the distance closed quickly as Hinata's Byakugan flared to life, allowing her to see where Naruto was heading without much effort. This allowed Hinata to move just as Naruto did, since she could see the blonde's feet pushing against the ground clearly.

A heavy palm found its way onto Naruto's stomach, causing the girl to cough with her eyes widening as she was sent flying backwards quickly from a small explosion of chakra exiting Hinata's palm. The attack stunned Naruto's mind more than her body, causing her to fall flat on her back in the grass behind her.

Hinata let out a soft sigh, walking up to the fallen girl and smiling softly as she held her hand out towards her. Naruto just stared at the hand, her mouth slightly agape while her arms remained spread wide apart on the grass.

"It's not li... like when you did it for me." Hinata whispered, leaning down a bit more, still keeping her hand extended towards her friend. "But... We're... We..." She paused, her face lightning up as she stared fondly down at Naruto. "We're friends, Naruto-Chan... I want to be there for you. So... don't shut me out. I'm..."

Naruto smiled softly, interrupting the girl as she grabbed at the extended hand. "You're strong." The admission caused Hinata's blush to grow along with her smile as she pulled the blonde to her feet. But Naruto didn't raise fully to her feet, opting to instead push her face gently against Hinata's chest, causing the girl to stumble back slightly and stare down at Naruto in surprise, even as her face lit up in a dark blush.

But her blush faded as she felt Naruto shake against her, and she wrapped her arms slowly around the shaking girl. Hinata felt her hands gently run up and down the blonde's back, staring down at her quietly and keeping her face neutral even as she realized what Naruto was doing.

The proud Naruto Uzumaki, who Hinata adored for her bright smile... was crying.

It was soft enough that Hinata nearly couldn't tell, but there was a low sobbing happening against her and she could feel her top becoming slightly damp with the blonde's tears. It was an eye opener for someone who viewed the blonde as a goal. Someone to look up to... And yet...

 _'It makes her feel so much... more... alive.'_ Hinata thought to herself, smiling softly as she ran her fingers through Naruto's blonde strands. _'I don't like the sound of her crying, but...'_ She pulled the girl slightly closer, feeling her own tears starting to form. _'I'm glad... that I'm able to help her like this... She has helped me so much already...'_

Naruto, on the other hand, was clinging to her friend as she finally let out the pent up depression that was filling her heart. The Jinchuuriki could feel a weight lifting off her shoulders from being able to cry into her trusted friend.

But, at the same time, she marveled at how their roles were reversed and how different the comfort Hinata was giving her felt from the comfort she received from the Hokage. With Hiruzen, it had been sympathy and understanding, knowing what caused her pain and being able to know exactly what the girl was going through...

For Hinata, however, it was... different.

The girl didn't know what the issue was, what Naruto had been through. She simply wanted to be there for her friend... and unlike the Hokage, there was no feeling that Hinata was doing it out of a sense of "duty." The lavender eyed girl just felt like comforting her friend, no matter what the reason was.

 _'I was stupid.'_ Naruto quietly admitted, her arms tightening around Hinata's waist. _'I … I was scared of losing the friends I have, but... I didn't believe in them. I looked down on Hinata-Chan just like I told her not to do years ago...'_ Slowly, Naruto's bright blue eyes turned upwards, meeting Hinata's soft lavender and the two smiled softly at each other as Naruto rubbed slowly at her eyes, clearing the tears away.

"I'm sorry..." The blonde muttered, starting to pull away from Hinata, much to the girl's disappointment.

Which did not appear on her face as she smiled, responding with a "Don't be sorry, Naruto-Chan. But can you tell me what was wrong..?" Naruto nodded slightly, taking Hinata's hand and squeezing it slightly, causing the girl's blush to return.

"Y... Yeah, I'll tell you... and everyone else too. I wasn't really trying to hide it, I was just... scared." Hinata nodded in understanding, squeezing Naruto's hand slightly. Hinata's smile grew as Naruto gave her another weak smile, but Hinata could not help but see the wide grin of the younger Naruto in front of her, holding her hand out just as the Hyuuga had done herself moments ago.

It was a memory she would always treasure...

* * *

 _ **Years ago...**_

"Hinata-Chaaaaan!" A voice called out loudly, being the only warning a young Hinata Hyuuga had as a blonde and orange blur slammed into her from the side. The girl squeaked with her eyes wide as she was forced into the grass in the Academy's training field as the orange bundle sat on top of her.

Naruto Uzumaki, age 9, grinned up at her friend as she laid on top of her. The two had not been friends for very long, but with Hinata as Naruto's _first_ friend, the blonde had taken it upon herself to be with the slightly younger girl whenever she could.

Hinata had no issues with this because she was rather light on friends herself, and it made her happy that the person who saved her from two older children was willing to be her friend. Even after the Hyuuga who had been watching over her chased her off, the blonde girl still came back to Hinata for friendship after the two entered the academy together.

It had only been a week since they met, but Hinata was already getting used to Naruto's hyperactive nature... though not so much used to the wave of heat that rushed to her face whenever the girl was nearby.

This held true even now, as Hinata's face lit up in a rose colored blush as Naruto jumped to her feet and started to help Hinata up as well.

"H... Hello, Naruto-Chan." Hinata muttered shyly, a smile on her face as she accepted the help and lightly pat down the dark gray outfit she was wearing to remove the grass that stuck to it. A standard for Hyuuga children was a gray robe, though Hinata preferred to wear a pair of gray shorts and a gray top. Though she planned on wearing her mother's old jacket after she grew a bit...

Naruto grinned, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit with a white collar. Her hair was held up in two pigtails and her bright blue eyes sparkled in excitement as she stared at her friend. "Ne, Hinata-Chan! We really showed those other girls who's boss, huh?" The blonde laughed at her own words, placing her arms behind her head.

Hinata giggled slightly herself, nodding slightly. It was just after the academy had ended, but there had been a Taijutsu test over the basics. The two weren't the only ones tested, but all the girls fought each other and the boys fought the boys.

Naruto failed in 'style', as the teacher said she was much too random and reckless in her movements, but she couldn't very well argue against the end result. With Naruto sporting just a bruise on her cheek and shoulder while three older girls were groaning on their backs at the blonde's feet, there was a clear view of who the winner was.

Hinata, on the other hand, had praise all around except for how aggressive she was. She didn't take advantage of openings and instead allowed opponents to get to their feet or recover from a strong blow. Her fights with the slightly older girls seemed to irritate them more than Naruto's beat down, but she simply couldn't bring herself to fight someone like that...

"Y.. Yes, you did very well, Naruto-Chan." Hinata muttered, fiddling with the bottom of her shirt as Naruto rolled her eyes.

"You did great too, Hinata-Chan! Don't put yourself down like that! You beat everyone super fast!" Naruto let out a _huff_ , her eyes narrowing slightly. "Did one of them say something mean?"

Hinata quickly shook her head, blushing at the concern in Naruto's voice. "N.. No, I just..." She sighed slightly, her blush disappearing as she thought of her _real_ problem. "I just... don't think I'm strong, Naruto-Chan..." Naruto blinked a few times, her eyes wide as she stared at her friend.

"Whaaaat? Not strong? Hinata-Chan, you're super strong. Like..." She waved her arms a bit. "Like, you're practically already a Ninja strong!" Hinata blushed heavily at the praise, but shook her head quickly.

"N.. No, I'm not... I can't beat my own sister and... she hates me..."

"Hanabi-Chan?" Hinata nodded, biting her lip slightly as Naruto sighed. Naruto had already been informed of Hinata's issue before with her sister. It was not something the blonde agreed with at all.

The two siblings had been put up against each other since Hanabi had turned four just a few months ago. So far they had two very serious fights for the right to be Heiress of the Hyuuga clan, and neither of them went in Hinata's favor. Regardless of the difference in skill, Hanabi came out on top in both fights.

Hinata sighed softly, looking down at the ground sadly as she toyed with her shirt. "I can't beat her... I .. I only beat those girls because..."

"Because you're strong, Hinata-Chan!" Naruto quickly interrupted with an annoyed tone, frowning at the meek girl. Naruto sighed as the girl just shook her head. "Why can't you beat Hanabi-Chan? Is she really fast, or..?"

Hinata shook her head again, biting her lip slightly. "I... I can't hit her. She … She's my sister... a... and she has mother's eyes." Hinata explained, glancing up towards Naruto who was rubbing her chin thoughtfully now. Hinata looked back down after seeing Naruto's expression with her own falling as she realized she disappointed her only friend.

 _'Now she'll leave me... and I'll be all alone.'_ Hinata thought in despair, jumping as she felt Naruto's hand suddenly land on her shoulder. Surprised, the girl looked up towards the blonde's grinning face.

"Hinata-Chan! Let's spar." Naruto declared, her grin growing wider as Hinata stared blankly.

"W... What? Bu... But I, uh..." Naruto chuckled as Hianta stammered rapidly, unable to stop herself from being dragged towards the center of the field.

"Come on, I want to show you something, okay? So come at me seriously!" Naruto ordered, letting go of Hinata's hand and jumping back to give the two some distance away from each other. "Okay!" She waved her hand slightly at the stunned Hyuuga, grinning still. "Come at me with all you've got!"

Hinata gulped, feeling dread in her stomach as she slid into the standard Jyuuken stance. _'I... I'll do what I can... But I don't want to hurt her.'_ Nodding slightly to herself, Hinata quickly pushed herself forward and sent her right hand flying towards Naruto's arm...

… But she hit nothing but air.

Taken completely by surprised, the young Hyuuga stumbled forward and gasped as she felt Naruto's presence to her left. She quickly turned her head, trying to put the girl in her vision since her Byakugan was currently not active...

Only for her eyes to be blinded completely by Naruto's fist just an inch away. Hinata quickly shut them, expecting a punch, but cracked them open again after nothing happened. When her eyes did open back up, she saw that Naruto was grinning at her just a bit away and seeming to clean some dirt out from under her nails.

Hinata scrunched her nose up slightly in confusion, turning her body to face her opponent. _'What was that..? Why didn't she hit me?'_ Hinata shook her head a few times, clearing her thoughts as she put up a hand seal. _'I... It doesn't matter. I'm supposed to be sparring. So..!'_

Naruto smiled, closing her eyes as Hinata's Byakugan flared to life and the girl charged towards the blonde once more. The whiskered Academy student smiled as she swayed side to side, bending herself back as Hinata jabbed towards her chest. The constant dodging caused Hinata's mouth to fall open and her eyes to water slightly as she realized how easily Naruto was dodging her attacks... with her eyes closed.

 _'I... I'm really a failure, aren't I?'_ Hinata thought in despair, but had little time to linger on the thought as Naruto's fist suddenly flew towards her face. She brought her arms up to defend herself, but once again Naruto pulled herself back and put a bit of distance between the two.

This time, however, Naruto's determined expression could be seen as she jumped away, due to Hinata's Byakugan allowing her to see through her own arms. That expression was quickly replaced with the same wide grin as Hinata lowered her arms, staring at Naruto in confusion.

 _'What is she doing? I know she could have hit me... She_ wanted _to hit me there... So why didn't she?'_ There wasn't a reason to not hit her during a spar that Hinata could come up with, but she quickly charged forward and threw more of the Jyuuken strikes towards Naruto's arms.

These, as expected, were dodged easily.

And just as Hinata over extended a strike as Naruto pushed herself to the side, Naruto's fist flew towards the girl's head once more. But just like the last two times, the blow stopped just short of connecting with Hinata's guard. Hinata sniffed slightly as Naruto jumped back again, though this time the blonde wore a pained expression as she saw the tears starting to go down Hinata's face with her Byakugan deactivated.

Naruto sighed slightly as Hinata's hands fell to her side, and the blonde rubbed at the back of her head slightly as she walked towards the girl. Hinata sniffed slightly, having her hands clenched into fists as she stared at Naruto.

"W... Why aren't you..?" Hinata stammered out, gasping slightly as Naruto's hand suddenly wrapped around her head, pushing the crying Hyuuga gently against the orange jumpsuit.

"It was annoying, wasn't it?" Naruto whispered, starting to rub at Hinata's head slowly with her fingers going through the girl's short hair. "I wasn't being mean, Hinata-Chan, but I didn't want to hurt you... And it felt terrible, didn't it?"

Hinata stiffened slightly at Naruto's words, her eyes widening as she stared into the orange top her face was pressed against. Naruto smiled slightly, staring down at the girl with her eyes half open. "I know you love your sister, Hinata-Chan... and that's why you don't want to hurt her... Or anyone. But on the outside, it doesn't look like kindness. It looks like you're looking down on them..."

The blonde sighed softly, patting Hinata's back slightly. "I know you don't mean it like that, but..." She shrugged slightly, and Hinata sniffed as she pulled back from her friend with her gaze lowered.

"I... I'm a terrible person, a.. aren't I, N.. Naruto-Chan?" Hinata quietly said with her eyes shutting tightly; tears flowing quickly down her face.

Naruto shook her head quickly, despite Hinata being unable to see it, and crossed her arms. "No way, Hinata-Chan! You're a great person! But..." She paused, scratching at her cheek slightly and shivering from the feeling of her fingers going against her whiskers. "You just need to be more... aggressive when you fight."

"B... But..!"

"No buts!" The blonde huffed loudly, frowning. "You're really kind, Hinata-Chan, but _too_ kind when you're sparring or fighting... You can't do that!" She nodded, agreeing with herself as she closed her eyes and crossed her arms. "If an enemy were to find out about your kindness, you wouldn't get the same... uh..."

"Curtsey..?" Hinata offered, rubbing at her eyes slowly.

"Something like that." Naruto agreed, nodding again. "So do you get it, Hinata-Chan? Why Hanabi-Chan might..." She rolled her hand slightly, trying to get her point across without saying it. Thankfully, Hinata did get the message and nodded slowly, staring at the ground quietly.

"F... Father said the same... that I was too kind, but..." She sighed softly, "I just... don't want people to hate me..."

"They won't!" Naruto assured, smiling as she stepped back from the girl. "Come on, let's spar again. Seriously this time!" Her words only made Hinata's nose scrunch up slightly in confusion, but the young girl could only nod as Naruto held her fist up.

Sliding back into her Jyuuken stance, Hinata once again took the initiative and charged forward. Naruto's body twisted to evade the attacks again, but this time as Hinata jabbed towards the girl's left arm, Naruto's body turned to dodge and used her shoulder to slam into Hinata's own.

This sent the girl falling with her eyes wide, unprepared for the fist that followed up and pushed on her face, sending her flat onto her back. The fist didn't put much pressure on her skin, but the hit did send her rather roughly against the ground below, leaving her stunned as Naruto stood above her.

"I beat you." Naruto stated, causing Hinata to flinch slightly as she felt tears beginning to gather in her eyes. Naruto smiled, holding her hand down towards the girl and causing Hinata to stare in wonder as the sun light behind the blonde seemed to form a golden halo behind her head as she spoke. "But that doesn't mean I don't like you. You're my friend, Hinata-Chan. I took you seriously because I care."

Naruto's smile grew as Hinata slowly took her hand, still staring forward with wide eyes as Naruto pulled the girl to her feet. "See? You got beat, but it felt good that I took you seriously, right?"

Hesitantly, Hinata nodded her head, biting her lip slightly as she stared at the hand holding her own. "Y... Yes, but... I still... I still lost so horribly..." Naruto chuckled softly, shaking her head.

"Nah, you weren't taking it seriously, that's all! I can dodge really easy 'cause you always jab once on the left, then on the right, then back on the left whenever you don't wanna hurt someone. But if you come at me with all you've got, then I don't think I could dodge nearly as easily!" The Jinchuuriki exclaimed, squeezing Hinata's hand slightly.

The young Hyuuga could only stare, her gaze becoming more focused while she thought of what Naruto had told her.

 _'I can... do it... if I try to win. If I take it seriously...'_ The two lavender orbs narrowed as Naruto grinned, stepping back again and sliding into a fighting stance. Hinata nodded her head, understanding the message as she slid back into the Jyuuken stance. _'Don't hold back. Go for everything not lethal... and disable her.'_

The girl gulped slowly but leaned forward as she prepared to charge, pulling her right palm back and putting her left forward. "H.. Here I come, Naruto-Chan!" She announced, kicking herself forward.

"I'm ready and waiting!" Naruto called back, a wide smile on her face.

It wasn't long into the battle that the same type of smile was planted on Hinata's own face.

* * *

 _ **Later...**_

"The duel between Hinata Hyuuga and Hanabi Hyuuga shall now commence! The winner of this match shall be the official heir to the Hyuuga clan!" A tall, but very old Hyuuga announced as he stood in the large Dojo the Hyuuga clan possessed. There were at least ten other men in the room, including Hinata and Hanabi's own father: Hiashi Hyuuga.

All were rather old, and the only two people not old or men in the room were Hinata and Hanabi themselves, who stood in the center of the room. Both were staring at each other intently, wearing dark purple outfits with fishnet covering the area above their chest and their shoulders. A "standard" for Hyuuga to wear during a fight that robes were not the best choice.

The Hyuuga referee glanced back and forth between the two girls, lowering his head as he began to step back. "You may begin."

Many Byakugan flared to life all across the room as the siblings fell into their Jyuuken stance, staring intently at each other for the first move. In the last fight, it was Hanabi that made the first move, dominating her sister quickly in the first minute of the fight. Hiashi had stepped in during that one, saying the fight could not be taken as a serious show of skill if the duration was so small.

But...

This time it was Hinata that made the first move; shooting forward like a thrown kunai as she closed the distance between her and her sister. The thought of Hinata making the first move after her showing in the last fight did not seem to cross the younger Hyuuga's mind as she was taken completely by surprise when Hinata's palm shoved against her chest, sending the small girl flat onto her rear.

There were several gasps as Hinata jumped back, sliding back into the Jyuuken's ready stance as she stared at her sister, who was staring in wonder.

"Y... You struck me." Hanabi marveled out loud as she slowly rose to her feet, and her words got a soft smile from her older sister, causing the girl to blush slightly as she felt emotions beginning to rise up within her.

"I won't ho.. hold back a... anymore, Hanabi-Chan." Hinata announced, mentally cursing herself for stuttering, but she pushed that irritation aside as she continued to speak. "I … I want us to fight to o... our full potential... So you kn... know I'm not looking down on you." Her words caused the older Hyuuga to mutter amongst themselves, which caused them to miss the small smile on Hiashi's face... and the bright smile starting to grow on Hanabi's.

It had not been discussed to Hinata herself, but Hanabi had cried to her father after the second match. Defeating her sister had not felt good at all, and it was mostly due to the sad look on Hinata's face as she stared at Hanabi while she was surrounded by the old Hyuuga yelling about her "victory."

It was painful for the young girl to see her sister so sad, especially when Hinata had been the one that mostly took care of her for so many years. Not only that, but the lack of Hinata taking the fight seriously was just... insulting.

It was like she simply didn't trust in Hanabi's abilities.

But now that was the last thought on the girl's mind as she charged towards her older sibling, throwing a quick Jyuuken strike towards the girl's chest. The blow was parried with Hinata's palm hitting against Hanabi's wrist, sending her hand to the side.

Hinata did not stop with a simple parry either, as some of the elders suspected her to do after watching the maneuver. Instead, she sent her own strike towards Hanabi's shoulder with her free hand, sending the girl stumbling back with a blast of chakra exiting her finger tips.

The blow didn't hit a Tenketsu, allowing Hanabi to use the attack arm still. But the small girl opted to use the force behind her sister's attack to push her other side forward and jab towards Hinata's own shoulder.

This attack was swift, and left Hinata momentarily stunned in surprise. Still, the girl twisted herself to dodge the attack, wincing as she felt Hanabi's finger tips brush against the very end of her left shoulder.

Using her right palm, Hinata sent Hanabi's still extended arm to the side, leaving her wide open for Hinata's left palm to slam into the girl's chest and send her flying back. A heavy gasp came from the small Hyuuga as she stumbled back, falling once again onto her rear.

Hiashi was the first of the male Hyuuga to react, running up to Hanabi quickly as she panted heavily on her rear, holding her chest where Hinata had struck her. Despite the obvious pain in the girl's eyes, there was a wide smile on her face.

Hiashi himself had a slight smirk that he hid from the other males as he ran his hand gently over Hanabi's own. A quick pulse of chakra revealed the attack had left a bruise the size of Hinata's hand, but nothing serious. The Tenketsu around the chest was untouched, meaning no chakra had been put into the attack.

A standard for training to avoid chakra attacks on the chest. Any attacks around there had the danger of hitting the Tenketsu by the heart, which would cause a quick death if not treated _very_ soon after the strike. But even with the lack of chakra, the attack had clearly winded the young girl and it was unlikely she would be able to stand up on her own at this point.

Hiashi smiled to himself, but quickly hid it as he helped Hanabi to her feet, resting his hand on the girl's head afterward as she leaned against his leg for support. "Hanabi is unable to continue. The winner and future heiress of the clan is Hinata Hyuuga!" The Head announced, earning a bright smile from his daughters while the old men were muttering to each other.

One looked as if he was going to protest the victory, but a _look_ from Hiashi kept him quiet. The look did not, however, quiet Hiashi's father who had turned the gaze upon Hiashi himself enough to become immune to it. That man was the only one to rise to his feet, making his way over to his son.

Hiashi got most of his looks from his father, not that he'd say it aloud, and it was only a few wrinkles and the gray that had colored the older Hyuuga's eyes and hair that made them look any different, along with the slight darker skin tone the father had. To the on lookers, it was like the two were twins...

Which brought upon memories of the late Hizashi to the group, causing a wave of depression that was missed by the two men that caused it, and the children.

Daun, Hiashi's father, merely stared at his son for a few moments before bowing his head slightly, his eyes closing. "They both showed skill beyond their age. Do not let them gather rust." Hiashi nodded in agreement, and the two turned away from each other quickly with Daun moving to leave the training hall.

Hinata, unable to keep herself standing still too much longer, dashed forward and wrapped her arms around her younger sister with a wide smile. Hanabi returned the hug after a moment of surprise, a bright smile on her own face while Hiashi stared down at them with a neutral expression.

Inwardly, he was smiling just as wide as his daughters, but he could not allow the elders to see that. Although their scowls, he noted, were not being snipped at by the others at all... Even though they are the ones who said the Hyuuga should not share emotions so freely, even to each other.

He sighed to himself, taking the hands of both his daughters and separating them from each other. "Come, let us eat and rest. Hanabi needs time to recover." The young Hyuuga nodded their agreement, letting their father guide them out.

But once out of eye sight of the Elders, Hiashi let his face fall into a warm smile as he stared down at the two, getting a surprised look from both of them. "I'm very proud of both of you." He stated, nodding his head as they gaped at him, but soon they were smiling again and leaning against their father's legs as they walked.

Hinata sighed slightly to herself, wishing she had been more confident in the beginning to avoid all this, but also glad it had worked out... She wasn't quite sure what would have happened if Naruto had not stressed the issue.

 _'I won't forget this, Naruto-Chan.'_ The young Hyuuga silently vowed, squeezing her father's hand slightly. _'I'll stay by your side... forever.'_

* * *

 **Chapter END! But that's not all!**

* * *

 **Tales of the Kunoichi Extra: The Many Lives of one Blonde**

 **Part 2: Scout's Honor**

Scout's feet landed neatly on the stone tile of the Hokage Tower, but didn't remain there long as she jumped once more onto the small building beside the tower itself. The tower was the target of one of her most recent "large" pranks, where she sneaked inside and painted the cloaks of many ANBU members. Her target had also been down there, but not the subject of her "plan", though she had the troubling memory of what her target did...

Recalling the screams made Scout shudder slightly, just after her feet hit the top of the small building, but didn't reduce her excitement. Her target was a man of action, one that remained in _control_ at all times, and in a way he was something of an inspiration. Naruto loved to control her life, because she had so many factors outside her control that affected her. That's why she chose to become a Ninja in the first place, because it was her choice and so many people tried to stop her from doing so.

But that inspiration of control made Morino Ibiki a perfect target as well.

It was a test to see who could control more. Who kept their defenses and offensive techniques to the maximum. Naruto, and Scout by proxy, knew she was far below the man in terms of rank, experience, and skill overall... But she knew she had to try to beat him regardless, even if he was completely unaware of the challenge between the two.

Scout shook her head, clearing her thoughts and slapping her own cheeks to get her mind back on track. _'Focus! I've gotta scout ahead. That's my job!'_ Her reminder made her smile and she pointedly ignored the faint bit of black paint now on her palms, while she leaned forward and put her head over the edge of the building. She was now staring upside down with her hair flowing towards the ground, through the same window she had broken so many days ago.

The glass seemed to have been paired or just replaced since she couldn't see any sign of damage on it, including on the flower pot she had hit with a rock the last time she "visited." It looked brand new from what she could tell through the window, but it was still the same color and height as the one she broke...

 _'Maybe someone has some kind of... repairing Jutsu?'_ Scout thought to herself, shrugging slightly as her eyes went over the room once more, noting that there was no one in it this time. It seemed that Anko being busy with a Genin team left the building without a secretary, but it seemed the lack of her presence caused an increase in the building's actual security. Scout's blue eyes darted left and right across the room, noting the several different shades of coloring on the wall with her sharp eyes.

 _'Alarm seals, along with chakra scanners if it's like the tunnel I went down...'_ Thinking of _that_ prank where she put a lot of blonde hair dye into the water supply brought a smile to the girl's face that was replaced with a grimace as she recalled the darker part of that mission. She quickly dismissed it, turning her eyes towards the original point of entry when she had been in the building last time. _'No way I'll get in like that again. Not with those there.'_ She remarked to herself, staring at the ventilation entrance she slipped through the last time.

This time, even with the distance between her and the vent, she could see there were thin metal bars behind the thicker ones that prevented entry. None of the bars were thick enough to block air going through, but the smaller ones were most likely placed on the inside and not part of the grate, meaning she couldn't just take it off like before.

 _'Probably some alarm seal connected to that either way. So how can I get in?'_ The blonde pondered, her eyes scanning the room for anything that seemed out of place. Her past entrance was blocked and...

A sudden creak from inside the building caused Scout's body to shoot up, pulling herself up to the roof. Out of instinct, she shifted herself into the shape of the most innocent thing she could think of, but promptly switched herself into the shape of a small black bird before someone questioned why a Hyuuga was on the roof. She let out a slight 'tweet' as the front door to the T&I entry building was swung open, revealing the very man she had come to target in the first place.

She let her small talons skitter her body away from the edge of the roof just as she saw the man pause at the doorway; no doubt having sensed her presence before she could conceal it. Bird-Scout could no longer see him from her current position, which make her gulp inwardly out of nervousness. She couldn't even dispel herself right now without alerting him...

 _'He'd notice and instantly know the only person who'd spy on him with **Kage Bunshin** is me.' _ Scout noted to herself, skittering slightly to a better perch as she heard him walking once more. As much as she wanted to follow him, her ability to turn into a bird did not include the _instincts_ of that bird. This left her with no knowledge of how to actually use the small black wings she gave herself and she was already having slight trouble keeping her balance on the two talons she was using. _'Ugh, how do birds even walk on these things? No wonder they're always flying!'_ She whined to herself, flapping her wings out of irritation.

She mentally marked down _'learn how to fly'_ on her checklist just as her form shifted from bird back to human once more, taking on the standard appearance of "Scout." This action was due to Ibiki turning a corner as he walked away from the tower, heading down the straight street that went to the market district in the center of Konoha. With no way to make her way to chase him in her bird form, switching back to normal was the only way to go. So with a slight tap, the Naruto _**Bunshin**_ shot herself off the roof of the T &I building and onto the roof of another building.

In any other village, this would cause confusion. But Konoha used rooftops for a method of travel quite often and even now Scout could see several ANBU, Jounin, and even a few Genin jumping across roof tops in the distance. It was all a matter of blending in to keep on her target and take slight detours to make it seem like she wasn't specifically following him. To make sure she wasn't recognized, her headband became a true Konoha protector and her blonde hair became a soft looking, yet also forgettable, brown with her eye color following suit.

"Disguise" in place, Scout made her way across the rooftops behind her unknowing target. It was surprisingly easy to track the man, even as he got into the more crowded area of Konoha while walking a steady pace. This was partly due to the unique appearance he had, being rather tall, wearing a trench coat with a bandana on his head, but the air at which he held himself was the main reason. Civilians and Ninja alike parted in front of him as he made his way forward and no merchants called out to him to sell him any of their products. It seemed the aura surrounding him just screamed to not mess with the experienced Jounin, or even get in his way...

… and it looked very lonely.

The thought of Ibiki, her target, being "lonely" made Scout stumble a bit as she landed on another rooftop, chewing slightly on her lip. She could relate, after all, and messing with someone in the same position as her put a bad taste in her mouth...

But that feeling faded quickly as she saw Ibiki actually walk up to one of the merchants and start to rather casually buy a bag of apples from him. The merchant didn't seem afraid or angry that he was approached, but rather happy that the tall man had chosen his booth out of all the others. Then, after a brief exchange that Scout could only assume was them telling each other goodbye, Ibiki began to walk down the street once more with no one making a move to have him buy anything else. But unlike when she tried to buy something, there was no annoyed looks towards the ones that do sell her something. There wasn't an obvious lapse in the merchant's sales due to Ibiki stopping by. In fact, the merchant seemed to be getting even _more_ customers now that Ibiki had stopped by.

The brown-haired Ninja frowned to herself, jumping to another rooftop ahead of herself. _'He's not like that because of something he did. He's like that because he_ wants _to be like that.'_ She sighed to herself, slightly putt off that she couldn't relate to him at all... But also relieved, since that realization lowered the guilt of what she was trying to do significantly.

 _'Speaking of which...'_ Scout thought to herself, pausing on her rooftop jump as she saw Ibiki actually entering a small house near the very center of Konoha. It was rather small with a flat roof, making it look like a box with two windows on top with a single door. Rather similar to all other buildings around it, really, which made it not stand out at all. If not for her having watched the man walk into it; finding his home in the collection of houses would have been impossible.

 _'I've got you now, Ibiki! First I'll do some scouting on the roof, and then..!'_ She jumped, leaving herself and her thoughts up in the air as she descended.

But what Naruto, and thus Scout by proxy, was not aware of was that she was not the first, or the last, to try and spy on Morino Ibiki. Many had tried and failed. Some ANBU even tried to infiltrate his house as a form of training for their assassination assignments. This left Ibiki up to the job of securing his house from all angles. Left, right, from the front, back, below... and especially the rooftop. The reason behind all this protection was particularly due to a certain Snake-loving woman that made it her job for awhile to mess with Ibiki whenever she could and however she could. She had only really got into his house without permission once and then swore off doing it again; for reasons unknown to her peers and even her boss.

But Ibiki kept the protection of his house on high alert at all times regardless, in case she ever changed her mind. Thus, when Scout's feet touched the stone roof, it set off a collection of protective seals that had remained inert for years. Everyone knew to avoid Ibiki's rooftop, after all, for there laid the most annoying and potentially deadly trap to deal with.

A high powered, seal created, chakra infused spring. While not quite as deadly as, say, an explosive note; it was just as effective at dealing with would be intruders. The "spring" was just a collection of powerful seals all around the rooftop that scanned, absorbed, then pushed any source of chakra that landed on it. The amount it pushed was always based on a rather set limit, so anything rather low in chakra amount would either not set the spring off at all or just lightly shove them off the roof. This made it relatively safe for any regular Genin that may have not got the Ibiki-Memo, since not many Genin would have enough chakra to have anything happen to them other than falling off the roof or being shoved onto a different one.

Naruto Uzumaki was _not_ a regular Genin.

When the seal detected the amount of chakra the Scout was holding, which was still but a portion of Naruto's real chakra amount, the entire roof blazed with a dark red shade just as Scout's feet landed completely on it. Regardless, she was given no time to react other than an arched eyebrow as the spring activated and caused the red glow to 'push' upwards with extreme force. Force relative to the amount of chakra running through the clone's body.

Scout could barely let out a scream as her body was sent flying into the sky, going across Konoha at rapid speed with her hair and limbs flailing wildly from the wind rushing against her. Her final thought as she disappeared into the distance was:

 _'I'll get you next time Morino Ibiki! Next timeeeeeeee!'_

Ibiki hummed slightly to himself, staring curiously up at his ceiling as he felt the seals on his house activate. _'Strange. Someone must have been training... A Genin, perhaps? I did get the impression I was being followed since I left... Probably one of Gai's kids.'_ He shrugged, letting his towel drop as he walked into his large, yet very open, shower. _'Oh well. Anyone who managed to get onto my rooftop is not my concern.'_ With that, the lonely looking man began to whistle a tune to himself as he bathed.

The smile on his face made his mirror crack for the tenth time that month.

* * *

 _ **Extra END! And that's all! Except these notes!**_

 _ **Tell me what you thought! Sorry it took so long, but I'm working through a lot of things right now, such as a collection of unfinished stories to see what plot line people actually like! Some of them are really old, but I decided to "tidy up" any stories that had a decent amount of content to them. At least a chapter, but with a max of 3 at the suggestion of one of my reviewers! Still a bit iffy on how I'm going to upload it and label it, but y'know, I'll try to see what I can do!**_

 _ **Anyways, this chapter, as you can see, is a sort of explanation of why Hinata and Naruto are so close to each other. This scene exactly was hinted at back when Hiashi was talking to Kurenai and also the first scene sets up a slight "fluff" for Naruto to get over some of the trauma she's been put through recently.**_

 _ **Not a perfect solution, mind you. Naruto still has some troubles to work out! But it's a brief start.**_

 _ **I also wanted to show off Hinata's stronger side, since it was clear even in canon she was at least some what close to Neji's prodigy status during their fight and that was with a lack of real confidence and training. With Anko and Naruto supporting her from the get-go, I couldn't see her losing to Hanabi, or even a depressed Naruto! In all honesty in a full outfight with their current styles, Hinata would actually beat Naruto if they were fighting seriously. Partly due to Naruto not wanting to use more than a few clones at a time, regardless of her seriousness, but also due to Hinata being just as fast as the blonde without needing to be as strong, due to her Jyuuken.**_

 _ **Oh and before anyone corrects me, I know "Curtsey" is not right. It actually started as a typo, but it looked so cute thinking of little Hinata saying that, so I kept it in.**_

 _ **The extra ended up slightly longer than I meant for it to, but the results are in! There's some subtle jokes in there too, but I'm not sure what else to say about it! There will only be one more part to these specific "arc" of extras revolving around Scout. The next extra arc is still up in the air, but I have a few ideas for one down the road.**_

 _ **Anywho, not sure what else to say here. Sorry it's taking so long to get these chapters out! Really though, I appreciate anyone who reveiws and any questions you have will be answered through PM or even in the next chapter!**_

 _ **Speaking of... I've been thinking of re-writing the summary for this story. Anyone got any ideas?**_

 _ **Be sure to be on a lookout for a collection of unfinished stories soon! Maybe if one gets popular enough, I'll consider writing it on the side! I'm rather fond of a couple of them.**_

 _ **Till next time!**_


	20. A New Test! Which one is the best?

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

 _ **Been awhile, huh? This chapter has been done for awhile, but I've been focusing on streaming and videos lately so I haven't been writing much. Sorry about that! I decided to just go ahead and upload this chapter and possibly the rest over the upcoming month or two. Depends on how I feel...**_

 _ **That being said, I did get around to finishing the 'last' chapter, for now at least, for the Extra series I was doing for this chapter. I was about to upload it without it, but felt like I should finish it since the Extra isn't that long anyways.**_

 _ **But still! Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

 _ **The present: 45 minutes later.**_

"Wait, so let me get this straight, Goldie." Ino started, staring down at the currently sitting Naruto in the training field. "You got roped into testing the security of Konoha's wall, and..."

"Well, I wasn't really against it." Naruto pointed out, earning a roll of the eyes from the two Jounin standing behind Ino.

" _And!"_ Ino repeated, an irritated tone from being interrupted. "You found some guy there doing no good and got into a fight..? And that's the reason we found you and Hinata on top of each other?" Naruto blinked a few times at the grin Anko was sending her way as she hastily shook her head with a blush, not noticing the large blush on Hinata's own face.

"Er, no! I mean, yes, but there's more to it than that!" Naruto rambled out, waving her arms a bit in the air as she rose from her knees. Ino huffed, tapping her foot as she crossed her arms.

"Then explain already. 'Cause while you two were here messing around, I had to deal with these two biting my ass!" The girl shouted, getting owlish looks from her teammates which caused her to sport her own blush as she realized what she said. "Not literally!"

"Awh, but Violet-Chan..." Anko cooed out, causing the platinum blonde to stiffen as Anko's arms wrapped around her neck, causing the Snake Mistress's … _assets_ to push into the girl's back. "Are you saying you don't want... a little... nibble~?" The question was emphasized with the woman's teeth brushing against on the top of Ino's ear.

This caused a gasp to escape the girl's mouth as she hastily ducked and pulled away from Anko, spinning to face the woman with her own body slipping behind the blinking Naruto. "I'm not food!" She cried out, glaring at the woman from behind the staring blonde.

Anko just grinned in response, straightening herself while Kurenai rolled her eyes. "Don't tease them, Anko." The woman scolded slightly, to which Anko responded with her tongue sticking out. Shaking her head at the Jounin's immaturity, Kurenai refocused on Naruto who was looking back at Ino curiously. "Would you mind explaining from the start, Naruto?"

Turning her attention back towards her Sensei, Naruto nodded. "Right, well..." She coughed, clearing her throat before explaining to the group why she was in the wall surrounding Konoha to begin with. Explaining her prank took another showing of the seal and paint she showed the Hokage, leaving a smiling face on one of the large wood posts in the field.

The sight caused Anko to chuckle while Kurenai shook her head slightly with an exasperated look on her face. "I suppose that explains why Hokage-Sama said not to bother with missions today..." The Genin all looked up at her in surprise, and she quickly explained. "Hokage-Sama said that our team was excused from missions today, and he'd mark us down for completing a few D-ranks. He didn't explain why."

Ino let out a 'Woo' and wrapped her arms around Naruto, grinning. "Yes~ Way to go Goldie! No painting a fence." Naruto grinned a bit as well, returning the hug while Hinata smiled beside them. She was also glad to not have to deal with a D-Rank today, though their cheer brought a grin to Anko's face, which caused their own smiles to falter slightly.

"You girls know that leaves us all day to train, right?" Anko questioned, her grin growing as the girls paled. "Oh yes," Anko started, rubbing her hands together. "A whole day with my little pretties... We're going to have soooo much fun." She cackled, rubbing her hands together a bit faster as the three Genin moved closer together, with two of them hiding behind Naruto slightly.

Smiling slightly at her friend's antics, Kurenai stepped forward to get attention back on her. "At any rate, Naruto, would you mind explaining what happened with the man you encountered? And I do hope you told the Hokage about all of this." Naruto blinked, her fear forgotten as she turned her gaze up towards the red-eyed woman.

"I told him about it already. That's why I wasn't at breakfast." A low growl escaped her stomach, letting the others know of it's displeasure of being ignored. The amused smiles, and the one annoyed look from behind her, sent her way caused Naruto to smile sheepishly with her hand rubbing at the back of her head. "Er, sorry."

Kurenai shook her head slightly letting out a soft sigh. "It's important to eat every meal, Naruto. After you finish explaining, you should go eat something."

"You're going to need the energy!" Anko chimed in, causing Naruto to sweat-drop slightly.

"R... Right, uh... thanks Sensei. Um, but..." The Jinchuuriki sighed, slowly going into detail about her fight with the masked man, who she labeled Blank. She started with going over how she noticed the bundle and used a transformed clone to retrieve it, but gulped down her nervousness before continuing.

Seeing her sudden nervousness, Hinata placed a hand on Naruto's back, trying to reassure her friend. It seemed to work slightly as Naruto relaxed, though her voice still trembled slightly as she continued her tale.

Telling the group what was in the bundle, and how she was too taken by surprise to keep it away from Blank, brought looks of shock to Naruto's fellow Genin. The Jounin, however, shared a serious expression with the usual amused look on Anko's face falling off.

Continuing to explain the fight, she went over Blank's retreat into the last storage room inside the wall and their exchange.

"I was winning, mostly." Naruto muttered, her eyes lowered as she recalled the battle. "I managed to block or dodge most of his attacks... My jacket only got a slight cut on it from his tanto." She shook her head slightly. "I broke his mask after that with a kunai, and he came charging at me. When I deflected the attack, I sent him back against the wall with a palm strike." Kurenai arched her eyebrows at that, knowing she was the only one to use such techniques around Naruto, but said nothing as the blonde continued her tale.

"But after that, I told him to give me the kid... And he seemed to agree, but then..." Her body shook slightly, causing Kurenai's eyes to widen in alarm as she recognized signs of a panic attack. But she relaxed as Ino and Hinata both placed their hands on Naruto's back, supporting her as they noticed their friend's unease. Naruto gave them both small smiles as her body relaxed, though her expression remained grim as she gulped.

"Then..." She paused, letting out a shaky breath. "He tossed the kid at me... but then put up a handseal... The wrapping around the kid's body started to glow and..." Now it was Kurenai who felt herself shake, already dreading Naruto's next words. "... He exploded." She finished, and her words caused Ino and Hinata to openly gasp while Anko clicked her tongue slightly.

"Son of a bitch..." The tall woman muttered, though only Kurenai heard it.

Tears had began to gather in Naruto's eyes, but none of them dropped as she continued to speak. "There was blood and smoke everywhere... And I just..." She looked up this time, towards the Jounin who were staring down at her. "I snapped... and saw red. " Her statement had a bit of... meaning to it, beyond merely losing herself in anger.

It only took a moment to realize what she meant, and both Jounin found themselves unconsciously stiffening from the idea.

 _'She used the Kyuubi?'_ Kurenai thought quietly to herself, biting down a bit onto her lip. _'I have no doubt she's stable, but if the Kyuubi can influence her in real battle, then that could be dangerous... For everyone.'_ Despite her thoughts, Kurenai had no desire to remove Naruto from the group for that reason, although she silently vowed to keep an eye on her during battles.

Anko, on the other hand, took a more physical approach and her fist went down quickly onto Naruto's head, making the girl grunt slightly, followed by a low whine as she reached up to hold the now bruised area.

"W... What was that for, Anko-Sensei!?" The blonde cried out, tears still brimming in her eyes, but now out of the pain on her head instead of her experience. Hinata was giving the taller woman a dirty look, while Ino just looked amused, but both were ignored by Anko as she crossed her arms under her chest, pressing her breasts up a bit.

"For getting too angry!" The Jounin answered, nodding her head sagely. "It's to be expected you got all upset over that, but if you let yourself go in a rage in fights, you'll get yourself killed." Naruto frowned at her words, rubbing at the bruised spot, but her expression fell into confusion as Anko grinned down at her, holding one finger up. "But I know you used your anger to your advantage, right? Bet that guy isn't an issue anymore."

The real meaning behind her words weren't lost on Kurenai, but Naruto just shook her head with a slight sigh. "I did beat the crap out of him, but … I didn't..." She paused, clicking her tongue slightly as she lowered her arms to her side. "I'm not the one that did him in. Someone else killed him after I knocked him around for awhile."

She sighed as their gazes became confused and Naruto slowly went through her encounter with the "Not-Cat", causing the Jounin's faces to darken once again. Knowing that one of their ANBU members had been identified and cloned to near perfection was rather alarming. It meant someone on the inside of Konoha, possibly someone who knew Yugao personally, was the culprit.

But the Jounin kept their thoughts to themselves this time, staying quiet along with Hinata and Ino as Naruto finished her tale. "... and she said we'd meet again. Didn't really say anything helpful, honestly." The blonde shook her head, sighing slightly and reaching into her kunai pouch. "Only thing she didn't destroy with the flames was this tanto." She held the blade up towards the two Jounin, still bare since its holster had been destroyed in the flames as well.

Anko took it from her, moving it back and forth and eying the blade's edge carefully, letting out a slow 'hum' sound. "Not bad quality... What're you gonna do with it, Naru-Chan?" She eyed the Genin carefully as she asked this, watching the girl's face twist into an uncomfortable frown.

"I don't..."

"I'd say keep it." Ino interrupted, getting everyone's attention as she reached up and took the blade from Anko's hands. There was a brief tug of war between the two, though very halfhearted since the blade was completely exposed and could accidentally stab one of the two, before Anko let go with a grin. After giving her Sensei a dirty look, Ino examined the blade herself, swinging it once through the air. "Seems like it'd be right up your alley, I think."

"But it's ..." Naruto started, only to squeak as Ino tossed the blade up and in Naruto's direction. Catching it by the handle with the tips of her finger, Naruto stumbled back as she lowered it and pouted at Ino, who just grinned slightly with another shrug.

"Spoils of war, Goldie-Chan. We're gonna get stuff like that eventually, right?" Her statement brought a frown to Naruto's face, even as she slowly nodded and slid the tanto back into her pouch. Hinata put a supporting hand on Naruto's shoulder, smiling slightly to comfort her, while Anko let out a low whistle.

"Impressed you're the one that said that, Violet-Chan." Anko teased slightly, her already present grin growing larger at the annoyed look Ino gave her. "I guess our lessons really are paying off." She suddenly laughed, cutting through the tension that had been building up in the area as she drummed her fingers together. "Soon, you'll be just like us!" She cackled, tossing her head back to add to the effect.

Behind her, Kurenai watched in amusement and added in a crack of lightning in the background with a Genjutsu, causing the two blondes of the group to stare with horrified expressions as they hugged each other.

"No! I don't want to be a sadistic snake lady with purple hair!" Naruto cried out, getting quick nods from the Yamanaka pressing against her.

"Me either! I _like_ my hair color!" Ino cried out, shivering at the very thought of having that hair color with her style... She'd be the laughing stock of the Yamanaka!

… Hinata blinked, looking back and forth at the two clinging blondes before tilting her head slowly to the side. "I wouldn't... I wouldn't mind being like Kurenai-Sensei..." She muttered quietly, though her comment was easily heard by the Ninja in the area, causing Kurenai to smile while Naruto and Ino quickly grabbed Hinata's arms, shaking their heads.

"No! Hinata-Chan! Don't give in! If you become a sadist, Ino and I will be all alone!" Naruto pleaded, her eyes wide, staring up at the now blushing Hyuuga.

"What Goldie-Chan said!" Ino affirmed, nodding her head and shaking Hinata slightly, making the girl wobble around. "If we're left with _three_ of them, we'll be dead by midnight!" Hinata could only stare, looking back and forth between the two with a blank look on her face, while Anko clicked her tongue slightly in annoyance.

"I noticed neither of you really said anything about Kurenai other than she's a sadist... What's wrong with snakes? Or my hair!?" She growled, watching the two Genin stiffen and slowly let go of Hinata's arms. A slight _cling_ was heard as Anko drew a kunai out of her pouch, taking a step towards the group who all took a step back, including Hinata.

"Er, that is... Uh, nothing, it's just..." Ino stammered, gulping slightly as she eyed the kunai gripped in Ankos' hand. Suddenly, her face lit up and she turned quickly towards Naruto, laughing a bit nervously. "A... Aha, Goldie, you never did finish your story, uh... Why did you end up on top of Hinata or whatever?"

Naruto blinked at the question, her nervousness at being Anko's punching bag dimming as she recalled what exactly had her upset before. Her darkening expression seemed to pause the Jounin's attack as she eyed Naruto warily, watching the young girl sigh and scratch the side of her cheek.

After a few more moments, she spoke. "I kind of... just had some nightmares... Of..." She paused, looking over the group in front of her. The closest people she could call family, other than the Hokage who was like a slightly distant grandfather. Ino was like a bossy sister... Kurenai was like a stern, yet caring mother... Anko was the crazy aunt (Anko's eye twitched slightly for unknown reasons.) Hinata was... Her best friend. Or...

She smiled slowly, starting to shake her head. "It doesn't matter. Hinata-Chan talked me out of it, and that's the end of the story. I won't worry anymore." She nodded her head with her eyes closed, causing Ino to stare in confusion, while Hinata and Kurenai smiled quietly to themselves.

But the moment was ruined as a kunai flew by Naruto's head, making her eyes snap open and sweat begin to form on her head as Anko gave them a feral smile.

"I don't know why." She started, twirling another kunai around her finger, taking a step towards the group once more. As expected, the three took another step back. "But something just pissed me off. So I'm going to give you something worry about." She drew her hand back, her smile growing in size. "Start worrying about your own lives, you little brats!"

A loud cry escaped her throat, matched with the screams of panic from Ino and Naruto as the three turned and ran from Anko's wild swings. Kunai and senbon were sent flying across the field, some barely missing and others hitting a melting log as Naruto _**Kawarimi'd**_ away.

Kurenai shook her head slightly, sighing to herself as she watched them. "Suppose this is what we'll start with, then..." She muttered before slowly leaning down and then disappearing in a blur, joining the hunt for the young Genin.

It was about time to see how much they improved anyways.

* * *

 _ **Five minutes later...**_

Ino grunted and spun around, her senbon leaving her hand and knocking away several senbon thrown by Anko as the two jumped across the branches of the trees that surrounded their usual training field. As expected, the action didn't remove all of the senbon, leaving two still flying in her direction, but they were quickly dodged as Ino kicked to the right off a branch instead of continuing her trip forward.

"Not bad!" Anko praised, kicking off the same branch towards Ino's position, who was now sliding down the trunk of a large tree. "But you left yourself wide open!" The Snake Mistress claimed with a grin, holding her right arm down towards Ino's form. " _ **Seneijashu**_!" (Hidden Shadow Snake Hand)

A trio of snakes spun out of Anko's sleeve, flying down towards Ino who's eyes widened in alarm at the sight, quickly starting to move to jump off the trunk of the tree to avoid the attack. But her worries were made moot as two kunai flew past the space between Anko and Ino, with a long wire attached to both and one kunai being much lower than the other.

The wire between the kunai, however, met resistance with the snakes flying towards Ino's form and Anko's eyes widened in alarm as her arm and snakes were roughly yanked to the left. Since her body was also in mid air, due to her jump, the force moving her arm caused her body to shift in that direction as well, resulting in Ino having a few seconds to breathe as Anko was sent awkwardly falling down towards the forest floor.

Taking advantage as expected, Ino spun on the trunk and faced upwards, quickly running up the tree and jumping up onto another branch that groaned from her sudden weight. A moment later, her fellow blonde teammate landed beside her, grinning and sticking her tongue out towards Anko's still falling form.

Before Ino could even thank her teammate, Naruto quickly yelled out. "Blehhh! Left yourself open for once, Anko-Sensei!" She taunted, pulling down the skin under her left eye as her tongue continued to stick out. Anko yelled back in response, but the exact words were lost on the two due to the distance and due to a sudden screeching sound tearing through the woods.

The two weren't given time to ponder the noise as Hinata appeared from the branches above, grabbing both of them by the back of Ino's shirt and Naruto's jacket, yanking them backwards. Gasping in alarm, the blondes struggled for a moment before they felt another branch under their feet and Hinata let go of them, letting the two catch their breath.

"What was _that_ about, Hinata?" Ino complained, but again there was no time to react as the branch they had been standing on before shattered from a large bolt of electricity slamming into it from below. Ino and Naruto stared with wide eyes as the small pieces of wood fell to the ground, and the platinum blonde let out a soft "Oh." at the sight.

"We need to get out of here. Kurenai-Sensei has the advantage from below with her long ranged attacks." Naruto stated, going into "battle mode", her previous joking demeanor disappearing entirely behind a serious expression. The other two nodded in agreement, and the three jumped off the branch and onto a lower one nearby.

"I didn't even know she _had_ that technique. Sure didn't feel like a Genjutsu." Ino noted, her left eye closing briefly as the three jumped to another lower branch. The three quickly began to jump from branch to branch, though on the third jump, Ino suddenly preformed a quick series of hand seals in mid air. The other two watched curiously as Ino spun in the air, landing backwards on the branch and kicking off of it as she held her hands out, shouting " _ **Raiton: Parusu**_!" causing a large pulse of electricity to escape her hands.

While the pulse was meant for nothing but close ranged combat, it left electricity in the air when enough chakra was forced through it. By continuing to channel and keeping the body connected to the electricity, it allowed the cloud created to be manipulated with enough chakra control. This Ino used to her advantage, spreading the small bits of electricity out as wide as she could before turning around and making a box with her thumbs and index fingers from both hands.

"Anko-Sensei is coming up behind us quickly." She stated, ignoring the curious stare from Naruto and the surprised one from Hinata, who had her Byakugan flaring, since the small Hyuuga had not been able to see Anko yet in her field of vision. "Kurenai-Sensei is still below us, but she's being really slow."

"How do you know that?" Naruto asked even as she spun and tossed two kunai behind herself. The kunai stuck themselves to two different trees with a wire between them, creating a small trap that Anko would have to work through or around unless she wanted to get cut or caught on the wire.

"Something my Daddy taught me." Ino started to explain, pulling out a series of senbon in preparation for the coming fight, dropping the "box" shape she was making. "The brain is all electricity and chakra, so I used the electricity and my chakra to sort of... scan for brain waves. Can't really do anything to them through it, though..." Ino shrugged slightly, but once again the back of her shirt was pulled back just as the group was about to jump off another branch.

It was Hinata again, but Ino didn't have to ask what it was for this time as she saw Kurenai staring at them from a branch right in front of them, smiling wide. Naruto was still on Hinata's other side, having 'felt' the woman there before Hinata grabbed her and didn't jump off, though she was now holding a kunai up protectively.

Ino gaped, her eyes wide as she looked behind herself then back at her sensei. "W... What? How did you...?" The Jounin smiled at Ino's stammering, chuckling a bit.

"Your technique is interesting and definitely something we should expand on." Kurenai started, waving her hand slightly. "But while brains are full of chakra and electricity, so is yours, and that's what a Genjutsu focuses on. Can you tell me what I did to trick you? Ino only." The Genjutsu Mistress questioned, crossing her arms under her chest as she saw Hinata open her mouth to respond, though she quickly snapped it shut.

Ino gulped slightly, knowing answering the wrong way would result in a lot of pain. "Uhm... You... used the link between our chakra and cast a Genjutsu on me to make me think I sensed you somewhere else, but not in an unbelievable way?" The Yamanaka's answer brought a smile to Kurenai's face and she nodded, causing the girl to sigh in relief.

"Correct. And if not for your teammates, you would have fallen, quite literally, into my arms." Ino paled slightly at that, while Naruto huffed.

"Well! You couldn't get past Hinata-Chan's eyes anyways! She'd just see your chakra coming!" Kurenai just shrugged slightly, smiling.

"It's difficult to get past the Byakugan." She admitted with a "mysterious" tone, still not quite agreeing with what Naruto said, yet agreeing it would be a factor. Suddenly, her smile grew in size and her head tilted slightly to the side. "But... are you sure you three should be sitting here talking to me? I'm not the only 'problem', you know."

The three blinked at the warning and all of them jumped in different directions as the branch under them exploded from under their feet. With Ino going to the right, Naruto going up, and Hinata going to the left, the three were separated but all their eyes were on the massive snake that had slammed its head into the branch they had been on.

It was a massive gray snake with two small horns sticking out of the top of its otherwise normal looking snake head, curving above its large yellow eyes. Its bulky body was wrapped around the very tree it had just attacked the branches of and its pointed tail was wiggling around while its eyes darted around at the girls surrounding it.

"What the f-" Ino started to shout from her perch to its right, only to be interrupted by Anko's sudden laughter as she landed on a branch above the massive snake's tail, just inches away from Ino's own.

"Ha! Didn't expect _that_ now did you? I'm bringing out the big guns today, brats!" She laughed with her hands on her hips, though her claim was ignored as Ino pointed dramatically at Kurenai with an annoyed expression.

"What the hell!? Did you cast a Genjutsu to make me miss that massive snake as well? 'Cause I sure as hell wouldn't miss _that_ with my technique!" She complained loudly, earning a slight shrug from Kurenai.

Anko, however, laughed again and shook her head. "Ha! You probably just ignored it because, despite its size, that things brain is as small as a regular snake!" She laughed again, but stopped as the large gray snake raised its head and stared at Anko with a slightly hurt expression on its face, its eyes glimmering with tears.

The other girls watched as Anko moved closer, rubbing her hands on the spot between its eyes. "Awwh, don't cry, Kimura! You know I didn't mean it that way, you're really smart! It's just... you still... feel like a snake?" She smiled a bit nervously as Kimura turned its head away, its large mouth quivering.

Hinata was the only one to verbally react, though all the other girls were openly gaping, gasping softly to herself as she realized that the massive snake was... _pouting_.

"How can a snake... pout?" Ino muttered to herself, watching Anko continue to rub at the snake's head, trying to reason with the beast.

"Come on, Kimura! I need you here to beat up these brats and teach them a lesson! I swear I'll make it up to you, okay? You're really smart!" The snake continued to pout slightly and Anko sighed, pulling her hands back as she crossed her arms. "Okay, fine, if you help me out here, I'll let you loose in the Forest of Death and let you get _any_ snack you want, okay?" Its head snapped back towards her, causing the tree it was holding to shake a bit, and Anko nodded slightly at an unheard question. "Yes, even those spiders. But don't blame me if one of their claws gets stuck in your teeth again."

The effect of her words were instantly shown as the large snake opened its mouth, leaning back and letting out a loud roaring sound, causing many birds to fly away in alarm, before it lowered its head down again, its bright yellow eyes looking around at all the girls present before settling in on Naruto who was staring down at it from above. Seeing its gaze focus on her, Naruto let out a slight 'squeak' and prepared to move back, expecting the snake to attack right away.

Indeed, the snake's head was pulling back slowly as it prepared to snap the blonde up, but Anko's hand stopped it, resting on the spot between the holes of its nose.

"Wait, Kimura. Remember the rules." She waved her finger as the snake stared at her, holding up an extra finger for each 'rule' she began to say. "No eating. No killing. No poisoning. No molesting." Kurenai twitched at that one, glaring at Anko in warning. "And don't go after the red eyed one. She's mine." Again, the Jounin twitched and her glare became more fierce, though it did nothing but make the Snake Mistress grin from the sudden feeling of 'heat' on her back.

Kimura, as he was called, just nodded in understanding before leaning back again, preparing to snap at the blonde it had been targeting before. But Naruto had taken Anko's interruption as a chance to get away, and was already speeding through the trees, with several clones going in various directions to throw the snake off her trail. They also went around trees in order to keep line of sight off of themselves.

Unfortunately, Kimura had a very acute sense of smell for a snake, and its entire body snapped forward like an arrow leaving a bow as it flew through the air, crashing through various branches as it flew towards one of the many Naruto's, causing the blonde to shriek in alarm as the massive beast slammed into her.

Watching the scene, Ino put her hands together and bowed her head, clapping twice. "May she rest in peace." A small _poof_ sound was heard in the distance, followed by more branches being shattered apart as the snake fell, causing Ino to shrug as she raised her head. "Or not."

A sudden voice entering her ear and a hot breath going down her neck caused the blonde to stiffen, her eyes wide. "I think you'd best be saving your prayers for yourself, Violet-Chan~" Anko cooed out, her hand slowly sliding up Ino's side, the fingers softly skimming the girl's shivering hips.

Her teasing hands quickly moved away as she felt Ino's chakra flair up and she grinned wide as she felt the electricity coming off the girl's palms where her hands had been moments before, though it wasn't nearly as much as she had let off before when trying to "sense" the brains of the two Sensei.

 _'Learned how to use that one without hand seals too, huh? That'll be useful in close fights.'_ Anko noted to herself, despite _being_ in one of those 'close fights' as Ino jumped in her direction. This was a first, since it was usually Naruto that Anko sparred with in physical combat, causing Anko to temporarily be taken by surprise by the difference.

With Naruto, it was like a waltz. While Anko was always the one to lead in combat, or in the "dance", Naruto's movements were always smooth, yet swift. It always started out slow and led to wild movements once they got into the groove. Reacting to everything Anko did and sometimes doing so perfectly, though Anko was always holding back her true speed. But it was a dance Anko was used to at this point, having kept from fighting Hinata or Ino for more than a few seconds, so dealing with a serious and aggressive Ino was a change of pace entirely. A completely new dance.

Anko was forced to shift her left shoulder back and then her right as Ino's palms shoved towards them, barely missing yet still creating a small 'shiver' through the taller woman's body as the electricity brushed against her skin. The movement caused Anko's feet to slip off the branch, but she had expected and already accommodated for it as her chakra rolled around her feet, causing her to stand upside down on the branch instead of simply falling off. This was typically the point where Naruto would jump away and launch kunai before reengaging.

But Ino was different.

Instead of retreating to get a better position, the Yamanaka instead opted to follow Anko's movements and began to roll herself around the branch with the bottom of her feet, just as Anko had done. The act gave Anko only an instant to react, kicking off the branch just as Ino's palms were about to slam into her chest, but she was unable to completely avoid the attack. Anko let out a groan of annoyance as she felt Ino's hands grabbing onto her feet, numbing them instantly from the electricity being forced into her skin.

However, the force behind Anko's attempted escape being added to the suction of chakra keeping Ino on the bottom of the branch proved too much for the wood, causing it to snap at the base near the trunk it was attached to. This caused both women to start to fall to the ground below.

Ino took the chance to let go of Anko's numbed legs, using the branch still on her feet to her advantage as a point to kick off of, sending her back towards another nearby tree. The branch, being sent in the opposite direction, flew away, creating cracking noises as it bounced against other pieces of wood. Ino kept her gaze off of it, however, and instead tossed several senbon towards Anko's still falling form.

The attack, once again, caught Anko by surprise and nearly caused her to get struck by the senbon. As it stood, one of them were now sticking out of the shoulder of her coat after she twisted in the air to avoid the many others. Her hands shot up and grabbed a branch as she fell by it, causing it to groan in annoyance as she rocked herself back and forth before spinning once around the branch and shooting herself upwards with a burst of chakra from her hands along with the force behind her spin, sending her straight towards the awaiting Ino.

This would be the point where Naruto would jump to meet her, eager to win in combat in the air and their dance would resume. Ino, instead, tossed several more senbon and one kunai before hastily preforming a series of hand seals, ending it with her hands out stretched towards Anko's quickly approaching form. Ino's hands had her fingers spread apart, creating a circle with her index fingers and thumbs, similar to her previous move.

" _ **Shintenshin no Jutsu!**_ " The girl shouted out, watching Anko reflect the senbon she tossed with her sandals and catching the kunai itself with her feet, tossing it to the side. Anko could not, however, deflect the orb of chakra flying right at her from Ino's fingers, causing her to shiver as she felt Ino's mind enter her own.

 _'Now Ino-Chan~ If you wanted inside me that badly, you just had to ask!'_ Anko teased in her mind, grinning as she felt the girl's embarrassment and watching as Ino's real body slumped to the side, thankfully landing on the branch itself instead of falling to its demise. Anko's own body was still flying in her direction, causing her to grin. _'I can still control myself, you know, I have a lot more chakra and will than you!'_ Anko announced, getting the feeling of a "nod" from Ino's mental self.

 _'You do, but that's only if I try to control your full body. With your legs numbed, you can't feel them correctly, so you can't properly resist me taking them over!'_ Anko blinked, her eyes widening in surprise as she realized that Ino was correct. Despite being able to move them nearly perfectly to block and catch the previous attacks, Anko still couldn't truly feel her feet. And even with her mind aware she needed to not obey any commands, the numbed feet seemed to ignore the idea as they slowly spread apart, exposing Anko to anyone looking from above.

 _'H.. Hey! What are you doing, brat? I don't just spread my legs for anyone, you know!'_ Anko shouted in her mind, starting to preform hand seals to escape.

 _'Despite your attitude, I believe you.'_ Ino admitted, causing Anko to pause a bit in surprise, which was extended as she felt Ino's teasing voice echo in her mind. _'But I'm going to spread them wide apart, Anko-Chan~'_ The comment was made clear as Anko's legs spread as far apart as they could, nearly doing a split as she continued her ascent, though she had already passed by Ino's body.

Anko wasn't sure to feel pride for her student, for the sexual comments mostly, or fear for what was to come as she realized exactly what Ino was planning. Up above her was two very close trunks, as both trees seemed to have tilted towards each other at some point, and Anko was heading straight for the center of them. With her legs spread wide apart, her feet would skid along both trunks and force her to stop, but...

 _'H.. Hey! Brat! That'll tear my legs apart! They might even come off!'_ The Sensei shouted in alarm, panicking a bit for the first time in a fight with her Genin.

Ino just grinned in her mind, giving another impression of a nod. _'Better do something quick, Anko-Chan!'_ The blonde teased, and Anko could feel the Genin's mind escaping her own, restoring the feeling of her legs just as her feet began to skim against the trunks.

Thinking quickly, Anko swapped herself with a log, reappearing just a few feet away with her legs still spread wide apart as she fell through the air, though she was no longer upside down, sighing in relief Her relief was short lived as she realized exactly where she had swapped to in her panic and she saw Ino's form just inches from her own after a brief moment of falling. The blonde had a feral grin on her face as she dove forward, one hand sliding up between Anko's legs and the other grabbing at Anko's chest, brushing past her coat and gripping her right through the fishnet...

Electricity shot through the Jounin's body and she screamed.

* * *

 _ **Chapter... END! But wait, that's not all!**_

* * *

 **Tales of the Kunoichi Extra: The Many Lives of one Blonde**

 **Part 3: The Journey of them _all_**

At the complex ran by a certain blonde, there was a new Land Lord standing out front with an irritated expression on her face. The term "new" was used loosely, yet accurately, as it was a new clone created by one Naruto Uzumaki, but also a new look all together. While the "item" that secured the position of Land Lord was still on her face, the face itself had changed to become even more of a heart shape than it already was. The rest of the body had followed that idea.

Now the only thing that remained of any resemblance between the creator and the clone was the bright blue eyes and blonde hair shared between them. The Land Lord's body was now curvier, taller, and fuller in the chest. She was even paler than usual, to mark how much time she spent inside. The long pony tail she wore was hanging over her shoulder now and her bangs hung over eyes by just an inch. Her outfit changed from a simple copy of the original's outfit or pajamas. Instead, it was a fancy light blue kimono with an orange trim, rubbing against the exposed cleavage of her large chest.

Combined with the "item" on her face, it gave her a very mature look that leaked sexuality that the young teen didn't really understand herself. She just found the appearance to be something the Land Lord would have, basing it slightly off the house keeper in the manga she was reading, but also the attraction of Anko. The clone, being just a clone of Naruto, had no real maturity to it, yet still held a mature air copied from Yugao's "business-like" attitude.

Which came in handy during her current situation.

For reasons unknown, a merchant was currently standing outside the apartment complex she called home. He was a tall man with a tanned complexion, yet he ruined his height by having his shoulders slightly hunched over even as he stood which resulted in his head being level with Naruto's own, though slightly below the "new" Land Lord's height. His eyes were a copper brown matching his hair which, though short, stuck out from the blue cap he wore on his head. The rest of his outfit was a brown sleeveless vest and a set of long brown leather pants that were tucked nicely into his tan boots.

He was currently holding a wooden clipboard in his hands, tapping a pencil on it with an irritated expression on his face that was mirrored on the Lord's own face. But unlike the Lord who had a large building behind her, the man had a large cart with two horses strapped to the front to pull it along. The horses were both staring blankly forward, but impatiently running their hooves across the ground as the two humans stared at each other. The cart they were strapped to was a large cart with an opened back, yet with many metal straps holding the contents of the cart down so they didn't bounce free during their travels. There was also a small seat for the merchant to sit on when he was guiding them. As for what the merchant's content was...

The Lord sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with her eyes closing briefly. "For the last time, sir, we did not order a giant trampoline." Her eyes cracked open slightly, staring at the large contraption the merchant had placed in front of her. It was the only one of many taken off the cart and it was mostly a solid black color, but with silver bars made of iron to hold it up and a red cloth covering the rim of the black circle it was made up of. The trampoline was also making use of its title of "Giant" as it was as tall as the horses pulling the cart that once held it, but as wide as the cart itself.

The Merchant clicked his tongue in response to the Lord's complaint, gesturing towards the trampoline with both hands. "Well lady, you could have told me that _before_ I set it up." His hands went to his hips at his own words, giving her an expression as if she had just ruined his day.

"Before!?" She snapped back, her hands going to her hips as well, though her movement had the added effect of displaying her _assets_ to the man. To his credit, he seemed to take no notice and the Lord didn't care either way. "You set it up before I was even out the door. Why did you even bring it here?"

The brown haired man clicked his tongue, running his hand across the top of his head. "Hell lady, you actin' like this is my fault. All I got here..." He waved the clipboard around, though the paper it was holding was still kept away from the Lord's vision, "... is an order for a giant trampoline right to this location. And I ain't about to..." The man paused as the Lord held her hand up, sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose once more.

"Alright, I get it. But I really don't..." This time it was the Lord that paused, but this time not due to the other person in the conversation. No, instead, it was a sudden noise that seemed to be gaining volume rapidly. Both the Lord and the merchant stared at each other for a brief moment, confusion etched on both of their faces, before they both began to look around for the source of the noise.

"AHHHHHHH!"

Neither were prepared when the object of their argument, one black trampoline with a red rim, was suddenly struck directly in the center by the very source they were looking for. Despite the sudden noise getting their attention, however, neither could see the actual object as the trampoline's canvas bent inward until the center was practically touching the ground below.

Before it could, however, the trampoline completed what it was made to do and shot back the object that struck it with equal, or possibly greater, force than what it was struck with itself. This resulted in a green and black blur to shoot up in the air, flying in the direction of the Hokage tower with the noise from before increasing in volume.

The Lord stared blankly towards the blur that was quickly becoming smaller in the distance for a long moment, before slowly reaching down between her breasts to retrieve a small pouch where she kept her coins.

"Alright, how much?"

* * *

The blur, of course, was none other than one of Naruto's many clones. One Scout that had taken a wrong step on someone's roof and ended up being flung across Konoha as a result. With the added force of hitting the giant trampoline, along with the odd angle she had hit it at, she was now flying directly towards the Hokage tower with her throat already sore and hoarse from the amount of screaming she was doing. The screaming was a mixture of fear and excitement, since she had never experienced such high speeds or heights before...

… and it was promptly cut off as her body exploded into smoke upon striking the side of the Hokage tower.

Which, of course, set off many alarms as people feared an attack on the Hokage himself and soon ANBU were dancing about the roof tops and examining the struck location, looking for any sign of the source. Unlucky for them, though very lucky for the "criminal", another blonde had been near the tower when the Scout had dispelled.

This blonde was, of course, another one of Naruto's many clones. Upon the destruction of Scout, the chakra that had constructed her and the memories she had collected branched out to the nearest clone and then expanded from there to the other clones in the area. The first clone, surprised by the sudden influx of chakra and memories, paused briefly in her conversation with an old woman who was standing behind a booth where many fruits and vegetables were put on display.

The old woman, seeing the blonde's sudden pause, gave her a confused and concerned look. "Oh my, what's wrong deary? Did you get a chill? It has been rather cold out lately." The blonde blinked at that, smiling kindly at the woman with a slight shake of her head.

"Oh no, I'm perfectly fine. I just remembered I had something to do though, ma'am. I'll have to pick up our conversation another time." 'Trader' stated, smiling her wide smile with her bright teeth. Her blue eyes and blonde hair didn't set off alarm bells at all for the old woman, who had scorned and yelled at Naruto for a long time, because 'Trader' lacked the usual whisker marks that Naruto was known for.

She was also taller and completely flat chested, yet wearing a lovely green dress with a red trim that gave her the appearance of a well-off house-wife to the old woman in front of her. The added curves to her eyes to show age and the slightly darker tone to her hair added to that as well, causing the woman to just smile kindly instead of her usual scowl towards the 'real' Naruto.

"Of course deary. Here's your bag." 'Trader' smiled, nodding as she took the bag of apples from the woman, glancing to the side just in time to see a much smaller blonde disappear into a nearby alleyway. The sight made her smile grow as she turned away, giving the old woman another 'Goodbye' as she walked down the busy merchant street, playing slightly with the gold chain on her right wrist with a sapphire on it that marked her as the 'Trader.'

Meanwhile, the child who disappeared into the alleyway bit into an apple of her own, rubbing at the bandage on her nose and pulling at the blue nit-cap that held her short spiky hair down. "Damn old woman being such a two faced rat..." 'Rat' muttered to herself, not caring for the hypocrisy in her statement as she pulled at the collar of her leather shirt to drop a few coins into it. The blue overalls she wore held her legs and hid the shirt from view from anyone watching, but also kept the coins secure against her chest due to a small pouch on the inside of the shirt itself. "Damn good apples though, I'll give her that. But anyways... Scout's memories..." Rat paused, biting into her apple again as her eyes shined with amusement. "Guess I'll be needed to find a real opening in that place."

"I wouldn't count on it." Another voice interjected, though Rat only glanced to her right to see the source, which was another girl. Unlike Rat, or the many other clones, she was not blonde but instead had brown hair held in a loose ponytail and soft green eyes, but her hair also had two small bumps on the top of her head and her ears were covered by the hair on her side, making it appear like her ears were on top.

Her outfit was, however, similar to Rat with her overalls hugging her medium sized chest and she was the same size as the real Naruto. Her thick brown boots with a blue ribbon around the top of them made a thump against the ground as she got closer to Rat, stopping just a few inches away before she fell down to her rear with a sigh. "Seems like we'll all be needed for that one. Seriously, who puts something like that on their roof?"

"Don't act like it didn't give you an idea, Sis." Rat replied easily with a smirk towards 'Mouse', who typically worked with Rat when they were in public as a duo. Instead of giving the two literal names like she did with many other clones, Naruto gave them the titles 'Mouse' and 'Rat' in order to give them a broader skill set, but their main job was to gather information that Scout wasn't meant for. Less focus on one target or an area, and more so just information in general. Their duo of being "sisters" often allowed them to converse with people much more easier than if it was just a one on one...

In most cases, at least.

"Yeah, it did. But we'll leave that to 'Supplier' and 'Builder.'" Mouse replied with a shrug, taking the apple from Rat just as the smaller girl was about to take another bite. Mouse bit into it herself before handing it back, frowning as she stared up towards the sky through the gap between buildings above.

"Don't forget 'Crafter.'" Rat replied, biting into the apple, not being bothered by it being stolen before.

"Why isn't that the same as Builder again?" Mouse questioned, causing her sister to roll her eyes.

"You already know it's because Builder is more for actual buildings, while Crafter is more for tools." Rat waved her hand slightly, her eyes closed. "We've already thought about this."

"If you say so." Mouse responded with a shrug again, stretching as she got to her feet. "Well, come on. Let's get going." Rat nodded, tossing the remainder of the apple to the side as she followed her "Sister" out of the alleyway and into the busy market place.

Not many people noticed the small girl sneaking a few coins from their pockets as they passed. All of the victims being, of course, those that had wronged "Naruto" in some way in the past.

* * *

But those two weren't the only clones discussing the new burst of information, or what they had to do in the future. Though there weren't many that looked too different from Naruto, each of them had their own little 'charm' to mark their titles.

"You'll probably need me to cover your tracks." 'Cleaner' noted as her broom swept away a bit of dust that had gathered on the roof top of the apartment complex. The white headpiece resting in her hair, similar to that of a classic maid, bounced slightly as she moved.

"I'll make a good meal to make sure we're all at top performance when we get around to it." 'Cook' stated as her legs kicked off the side of the roof while she was stirring a pot of liquid on her lap. She pulled slightly at the orange cloth tied around her neck when she was done stirring, staring down into the red liquid with a smile. "Looks like I can go heat this up soon."

"You really shouldn't be cooking up here, you know. But I guess you couldn't be apart of the conversation otherwise..." 'Planner' noted, writing on a paper pad with her pencil as she sat cross legged beside the Cook. When she was done writing, she slid the pencil into the metal rings on top of the pad, sighing slightly as she toyed with the gold earring, shaped like a book, on her right ear. "But still, we really need a plan."

"Think that's your job." The Lord joked as she hopped up onto the roof, smiling at the three with one hand going to her hip. "But let's leave most of that to the Boss, hm? We still haven't got her real opinion on the matter, only what we've thought of first."

"We're her too, you know." Cleaner pointed out, frowning as she looked out towards the back yard where several blonde clones were setting a trampoline down. "It's not like we're different people."

"Perhaps not, but she knows things we don't." The Lord pointed out, wiggling her finger slightly. "It's possible Anko-Sensei or Kurenai-Sensei said something about it, so we should wait until we have more information at least." There was a collective sigh as the rest of the blondes nodded, having came up with that reasoning before already.

"I guess you're right. I'll stick to planning pranks for now." Planner muttered, starting to slide down the roof top, most likely to disappear into the quiet shack in the back yard.

"I'll go clean Anko-Sensei's room. Maybe that'll have a clue." Cleaner offered, smiling as she hopped down towards the apartment rooms without waiting for anyone else to comment.

"And I'll finish cooking. Bet Hinata-Chan will love this." Cook stated with a grin, hopping down as well and disappearing into the joined room of Naruto and Hinata.

The Lord watched them go with an amused smile on her face, slowly pushing up her glasses with a sigh as she stared out towards the field of blondes trying to find the perfect spot for a giant trampoline. Slowly, she shook her head and descended down the building, going into her own room where she took her spot behind the desk, which was currently covered in papers that had hypothetical situations all written up by the Hokage to test her mettle and also get her even more used to handling paper work.

With a sigh, she leaned back with her eyes closing as she pinched the bridge of her nose slowly...

It was hard to be Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

 _ **Extra... END!**_

 _ **The Extra I wrote sort of on a whim since I was about to upload the chapter, but then I was like 'Eh, it won't be hard to get this done.' Unlike other stuff I do, the Extras are just that: Extras. They're short and sweet, unlike the milestones I set which is usually around 25 pages. The Extra was about 5, though I already had one written out previously before I decided to upload this chapter.**_

 _ **Still, hope you enjoyed it and leave your thoughts in a review! I'll try to get back into writing, since I did enjoy writing this quite a bit, but it's hard to focus on one story for me and, like I said above, the streaming thing has been taking up my time along with other stuff I've been doing.**_

 _ **Either way, hope to see you all again soon!**_


	21. Water your Snake! Feed your Flowers!

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

 _ **Hey there. Same issue as last time, though this one took longer to come out, I guess. I just put all my writing aside to try making videos, but those aren't very popular... partly due to having no clue how to advertise myself!**_

 _ **But that isn't what this story is for. I decided to just go ahead and upload this chapter since everyone had been waiting and I was eager to hear what people think about the upcoming stuff! The reviews and re-reading my chapter for proof reading also might get me more interested in writing again... Meh!**_

 _ **Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

" _ **Suiton: Teppodama**_!" Hyuuga Hinata cried out, shooting a ball of water from her finger tip towards the approaching vine that was swinging towards her. The vine was very long, and its source was out of Hinata's vision, with a dark green color and red thorns coming off the sides. The pointed end of the vine, practically another thorn, was a light purple color and shined softly in the light as it flew towards Hinata's form.

As the water bullet hit it, the vine was sent only barely off its path, sliding slightly to the right but it was enough for Hinata to spin around it from the left without touching the sharp looking tip. Her hand shot up in an arc from below the vine, slicing through its body with a blade of chakra from her finger tips.

The vine fell to the ground lifelessly as it was sliced in half, but Hinata was given no time to celebrate her victory as another vine shot up from the body she had served the vine's tip from, causing her to gasp and jump away in alarm as the now two vines shot towards her, both of their purple tips dripping with green liquid along with the rest of the "new" body.

She slid across the forest's ground, twisting her body to the side to dodge the first vine's thrust, and then used the momentum of her twist to kick herself to the side, barely escaping the other vine's tip thrusting into her. Again, she slid her hand down and sliced through the body of the vines, causing the ends the tips were on to fall lifelessly to the ground.

But, as before, the flat exposed area she cut apart created two more vines each, resulting in four vines now turning to attack her. This time they struck true, but only on a log which temporarily kept the vines busy, due to each of them getting stuck in the log's wood. Hinata had actually used a thick branch that had fallen from the snake's charge from earlier, resulting in a much more durable piece of wood the vines were stuck in and leaving her with more breathing room as she jumped away.

Hinata panted and gasped for breath as she ran across the ground, gulping down air as she wondered what exactly Kurenai-Sensei had tossed at her. The woman had merely said their fight would be on the ground before jumping down and engaging Hinata in a brief Taijutsu spar. The 'spar' had been completely negated when a vine suddenly shot out of no where and began to chase Hinata, with Kurenai calling to her to just keep running if she wanted to get away from it. A tip Hinata was seriously regretting not taking, since attacking it seemed to have just raised the threat level.

 _'I've never really seen her use this kind of Jutsu before..! I … I know she has more than Genjutsu, but..!'_ Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the ground being torn apart behind her, and her Byakugan came to life to allow her sight without turning her head. Sight she slightly wished she had kept unaware of as she saw the four vines flying at her once more, each of them spinning slightly around each other.

She kicked to the right quickly, her eyes darting back and forth as she looked for any sign of the Genjutsu Mistress. With no luck on that end, Hinata tried to formulate a plan on dealing with the vines chasing her, while she turned another corner between two trees with the vines following quickly behind.

 _'I've got to lose them somehow.. o... Or I can't find Kurenai-Sensei. She... She's the source, so...'_ She turned _another_ corner, darting around a tree and gulping as she saw the vines still chasing her. Without really noticing, the girl hopped over the vine's long bodies and then turned to the right, going around another tree. _'K... Kurenai-Sensei has to be around here somewhere..! They can't just be moving on their own.'_ She thought to herself, turning to the left instead of the right this time.

She continued to run and run, starting to pant from the energy she was spending and soon her legs began to throb in pain, but she kept herself going. She knew if she stopped then Kurenai would get on her case... or she'd be stabbed by those vines. Though she doubted Kurenai would actually hurt her...

Too much, at least.

It seemed that her constant running paid off, however, as Kurenai's voice suddenly echoed through the area. Hinata's Byakugan, which she temporarily turned off due to the chakra it was eating, came to life again just as the woman's voice entered her ears.

"Red is for love, the color of life. Lavender is faith, to forever be there. This Rose shall chase you, and only you, no matter how much pain you bring it. It shall follow you to the end of the Earth, and even inside it..." There was a pause and Hinata spotted the woman sitting on a low hanging branch ahead, smiling down at the girl. "A rose of any other name would not be as sweet."

Hinata blinked at the confusing words Kurenai was saying, but they were tossed out of her mind as she ran under the branch Kurenai was sitting on... and skidded to a stop in surprise as she saw the massive rose towering in front of her.

It wasn't quite as tall as any of the trees and its stem was only half as thick as the tree trunks, but there was a single dark green vine coming out of the base, just beside where the stem was stuck in the ground. The rose's stem itself was also covered in thorns and its large red petals shimmered in the light coming through the tree tops as Hinata stared up at it in alarm.

Her Byakugan could see that the chakra coursing through it was Kurenai's own, but the _length_ of the chakra was simply astounding. While it was a bit thin and didn't quite fill the flower up completely, it was notoriously hard to spread your own chakra that thinly, especially without causing any issue of control down the line. That was why Suna's puppet users were so feared and respected, due to how hard the nature of their technique was of controlling their tools with thin chakra wires.

Hinata gulped at the sight in front of her, turning her gaze back towards the smiling Kurenai who had turned to face her. "W... What is this, K... Kurenai-Sensei?" She questioned, earning a shrug from her long-time teacher.

"That is _**Doton: Benibara Haidora**_."(Earth Style: Rose Hydra)

Hinata blinked owlishly at the name, then turned back towards the large flower towering above her. She heard Kurenai chuckle a bit from behind her, saying, "You best do something about it quick, Hinata. Those vines you left behind are already untangling themselves... Good work on that, by the way. If I wasn't controlling them, they might have gotten stuck." Hinata blinked from the praise and kept it to herself that she hadn't intentionally tangled any of the vines up.

She was just completely focused on running, after all.

Knowing the vines were coming back was also alarming, but Hinata gulped down her fear and ran towards the towering plant. With a yell, the girl spun as she moved, sliding across the ground with her arms out stretched. To anyone who had seen a matured Hyuuga fight before, they would recognize the starting spiral of the _**Kaiten**_ (Palm Rotation) technique, but Hinata's technique did not create a dome of chakra around her body as she moved.

Instead, the tips of her fingers lit up in chakra and created a circling blade in the air as she moved, like a large halo floating above her body. The front end of it, facing the plant, tilted downward as she swung her arms towards the ground, slicing towards the base of the large stem in front of her.

As the blade of chakra tore through the stem of the large plant, Hinata shouted out the name of her attack. " _ **Hakkesho: Tsukiha**_!" (Eight Trigrams: Moon Blade). Her shout was met with the sound of the rose groaning in pain as it was attacked; the stem slowly beginning to fall backwards and bringing the rest of the rose with it as it fell down onto the forest floor. As the rose crashed down, Hinata allowed her chakra blade to fall apart as she stepped back, panting as the energy and chakra she had used began to catch up to her. With her opponent down, the girl allowed her self a moment to relax, turning her Byakugan off.

But the feeling of relaxation was very short lived as vines began to shoot out of the base of the stem that remained stuck in the ground. Hinata could only watch in shock as the rose's body that fell down began to melt, but the vines quickly blocked her vision of that event as they spread high into the air and began to spiral around each other. In just a few moments, the vines began to shake and squeeze tightly together, with ten purple ends forming two separate 'stems' from the base of what Hinata had just cut apart, putting five of the purple ends sticking outward in the shape of a flower.

Hinata stared at the Y shaped plant in front of her, openly gaping as the purple ends began to split apart, forming dark red rose petals and slowly taking the shape of the rose she had just cut down. Only this time there were now _two_ heads of the rose, both towering above the panting Hyuuga, and one last vine suddenly grew out from the base of the stem, moving quickly towards Hinata's body.

The girl tried to turn to dodge it, but her body felt heavy and she felt herself starting to fall back instead. The vine continued towards her at a rapid speed, its tip shining as Hinata fell onto her rear with a _poof._ Hinata's eyes widened then closed tightly as she held her hands up defensively, trying to minimize the damage as the vine's sharp tip came towards her head.

… But the pain never came.

Instead, she felt a soft _pat_ on the top of her head, prompting her to open her eyes. She instantly flinched at the sight of the sharp vine just inches away from her face, and she slowly looked up towards the source of the patting on her her.

Kurenai smiled as Hinata looked up at her and she ran her fingers through the girl's hair slightly, chuckling a bit at the terrified look in Hinata's eyes. "You did well, Hinata." Kurenai praised a bit, smiling at the way Hinata's face twisted into confusion.

"W... Well? I … I couldn't hurt it at all.. I would have..."

"Been stabbed or caught, yes." Kurenai nodded, shrugging slightly as she closed her eyes and waved her hand, making the vine in front of Hinata slowly move back towards its source. "There was never any intention of you actually beating this rose... and especially me." Her smile grew a bit as she held her hand down, helping Hinata up to her feet after the girl accepted it.

Moving towards the towering rose, after letting go of Hinata, Kurenai continued to speak. "This is a technique I developed with my knowledge of plants and area awareness. Combined with the way I can manipulate my chakra well enough to cast a large variety of Genjutsu, I'm able to make a plant that can endlessly create branching paths of itself, so long as it has a source." She placed her hand on the stem and Hinata watched in fascination as the rose began to wilt and melt in front of her from Kurenai's touch.

She smiled towards Hinata as her creation melted, not seeming put off by the scene."I used this Jutsu against you because I knew you couldn't do anything to it. Not as you are, at least." As the last bit of the flower disappeared, Kurenai moved back towards the still panting Hinata, stopping just a bit in front of her. "Cutting it or using small blunt attacks like your _**Teppodama**_ aren't effective, since it can regenerate from those. The usual techniques it can't stand are fire attacks or very large crushing attacks. Neither of which are part of your resources." Hinata stared blankly, slowly blinking and taking a gulp of air to catch her breath.

After a few moments of recovering, with Kurenai patiently waiting, Hinata spoke. "T... Then why did..?" Her question, though unfinished as she panted, was met with a quick response.

"To teach you failure, firstly, and to make sure you're aware that you can't always rush into a situation if you don't feel like you can accomplish anything without proper planning." Kurenai's voice was stern, but not unkind, as she stared down at Hinata. "Now, tell me what you could have done differently and what could have happened if I put in more effort." Hinata frowned at the order, her brow furrowing in concentration.

"U.. Um... I could have... thought about the … the vines regenerating... working more than once and I could have... u.. Uhm..." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "I … I could have realized the rose... would be the same." Kurenai nodded slightly, smiling gently to encourage Hinata, and it seemed to work as she became more focused on speaking her mind. "Then... I could have tried a different strategy instead of... Instead of just cutting it... I could have tried to crush it with a tree..."

"That would have been good, but only in a real combat situation. I would have stopped you since we'd have an issue if a bunch of trees started falling down in the village." The red-eyed sensei pointed out, causing Hinata to blush in embarrassment.

"R.. Right..." She muttered, shaking her head slightly. "Um... And... you could have … used Genjutsu on it, so I wouldn't know where it is exactly... Or attacked me head on and let the vines get me from behind."

Kurenai nodded, smiling proudly at her student. "Indeed. I could have also used a Genjutsu on the vines chasing you, keeping you from seeing them or seeing them from somewhere else." Suddenly, she frowned, placing her finger on Hinata's forehead and causing the girl to flinch slightly at the serious expression on the woman's face. "Another thing you could have done, Hinata, is retreat. It's never wrong to run from a fight you can't win."

Hinata gulped from the darker tone in her teacher's voice, glancing nervously to the side as a faint crash was heard in the distance. Steeling her resolve to speak up to her serious Sensei, Hinata glanced back up with a determined look on her face. "B... But I couldn't just abandon my team..!"

Her statement, determined or not, was met with a flick on the forehead that sent her stumbling back. The Hyuuga girl pouted slightly, rubbing at the red bruise while staring at the smiling Jounin that had struck her.

"Indeed, you couldn't have, but you didn't really need to fight me. I would have chased, or the rose would have, but if you can't beat me then one of your teammates possibly could... Although..." She paused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully with her right hand while her left arm was resting under her chest, holding the elbow of her right arm. "I don't think any of you know any _**Katon**_ Jutsu... since Ino failed to learn hers. We'll have to fix that, even if two of you have _**Suiton**_ as your main element."

Hinata nodded slowly in agreement, frowning a bit as another crash was heard in the distance. The crash attracted Kurenai's attention as well; her red eyes glancing over to her left at the source.

"I suppose I should go and stop Anko from accidentally hurting one of them..." She muttered to herself, shaking her head slightly and turning her gaze back to Hinata. "Go back to the training field by the posts and consider yourself 'captured' for now." The Genjutsu Mistress _tried_ to not smile at the cute pout Hinata sent her way, but couldn't help it as she watched the girl turn and walk away.

Another crash caused that smile to fall as she turned towards its source, sighing slightly to herself.

 _'Anko can be the one to explain why so many of the trees were hurt today...'_

* * *

Naruto panted slowly, though not from her stamina, but from _fear_ as she felt another one of her clones pop out of existence. Thankfully the clone was far, far away from her true body, but it did nothing to elevate her mental state as she rested in a hole in the center of a large tree trunk. The closed walls didn't do much to help that either, but after running for a good twenty minutes or so, even Naruto needed a bit of a breather...

Especially with her panic making it feel like a lot more energy was wasted than it really was.

 _'Okay, calm down. Deep breath. It's just a snake.'_ She reasoned to herself, her tongue clicking in annoyance at her own thoughts. _'A snake that can spring itself forward without a sling shot and has killed me **twenty**_ _times now._ ' She sighed in irritation, reaching into her pouch and palming the smooth blade of her tanto.

 _'Okay, what can I do here? Clones don't work. I can't actually kill the snake, or Anko-Sensei will kill me. I can't reason with it...'_ She paused, feeling like a light bulb went off in her head as she recalled the snake's interactions with Anko. _'Wait, it loves to eat. Anko-Sensei said something about spiders, too, so it probably likes meat... maybe? Do spiders have meat? Eh, doesn't matter... Anyways, it's not dumb, but childish, so it might be easy to trick...'_ She hummed softly, running her fingers down the blade of her tanto for a moment.

The blonde dug into her pouch past the tanto after a moment, pulling out one of the remaining sealing scrolls full of paint she had left over from her "prank."

 _'A medium sized one. Blue, white, gold.'_ She thought, eying the small colored tassels on the left side of the scroll, connected to its black colored body. _'Now what can I do with this...'_ Another death of a clone interrupted her thoughts, but she quickly dismissed it, feeling that it wasn't close to her still. Slowly, she made her way out of the tree she was hiding in, looking around at the surroundings. So far, the Snake had just sprung at her and attempted to crush her, despite Anko's "rule" to not kill her. Either it knew it was crushing clones, or thought it wouldn't be enough to kill the Jinchuuriki.

Which probably was true, but... It'd still hurt like hell.

Naruto hummed as she hopped out onto a branch, pulling her large pouch around her body and opening it up when it got to her front, letting her look right down into it. She dug through her belongings, smiling at the sight of a paintbrush, several tools like her screw driver, and her various kunai and shuriken. She pushed the scroll she took out into the pouch again, then smiled as she pulled out her shuriken and a bundle of ninja-wire Anko had got for her... and her own personal sealing scroll.

 _'I can't kill it, but... I can try to keep it down.'_ She grinned to her self, placing her fingers in her favorite seal.

" _ **Kage Bunshin**_!"

* * *

Kimura flicked its tongue slightly as it slithered along the ground floor of the forest, glancing side to side for any sight of its target. It had already crunched several of the fakes, but had only seen the original once since their initial encounter. Something that slightly amused and bothered the large gray snake.

On one hand, it meant that maybe she was worth playing with. On the other, it meant it'd have to wait even longer to get its promised meal.

But as Kimura had no hands, nor arms, both thoughts were tossed aside. Instead, it letting a hissing laugh at its own mental joke, and knew Mother would have enjoyed it. She always liked weird humor.

The amused look in Kimura's eyes didn't falter as it spied its target once more and its body began to coil up as it prepared itself for another launch through the trees to reach the retreating blonde. As it felt the tip of its tail dig into the ground, Kimura "released" the spring and flew through the air, its eyes closing as it enjoyed the rush of air across its thin scales.

After several loud crashes from the breaking branches around it, a satisfying gasp followed by a _poof_ was heard as the gray snake's body hit home. With another one of the Genin's clones smashed to smoke, Kimura opened its eyes and raised its head, looking for another scent to go on. Scents of rabbits, dear, mice, Mother, snakes and other wild life filled its sensitive nose, until...

The large yellow eyes blinked, then blinked once more as a strange metallic smell entered its nose. It was mixed with the same fox-like scent the blonde gave off, but had an underlining of...

It sniffed again. Meat? The source was unknown, not quite smelling like any meat Kimura had smelled before, yet still had the same steamy scent of a cooked spider. The thought of a meaty spider to eat made Kimura's mouth water slightly, and it began to unconsciously slither towards the direction of the strong scent. However, before the snake could get close enough to see the source, it saw several blue and gold arrows painted onto the trees it was sliding past.

It gave each a curious glance, not quite understanding their meaning, though each arrow was just pointing in the direction of the scent's source. Kimura, not quite getting it, decided the meaty scent was more important than the arrows and slithered in that direction anyways, its eyes flicking around in case the blonde fox had something in store for it.

As Anko had said, Kimura was not dumb. While it didn't have enough brain power to preform Jutsu or communicate in human tongue, which was typically only a thing for the "Boss" summons, Kimura still understood a lot of things. Mother had drilled in various tips and tricks for Kimura when it was growing up, especially when it came to trickery and knowing when to not fight.

So the closer the snake got to the scent, the slower it began to move even as the smaller distance increased how much of it Kimura could feel going through its nose. The snake's efforts were met with a reward as it finally got to a small clearing that showed the source of the powerful meaty scent.

In the center of the clearing was the blonde fox herself, smiling with her hands behind her back. Kimura eyed her warily before glancing down at her feet, where a steaming bowl was resting. The bowl wasn't that big... But it wasn't the only bowl.

Around the entire field was a large amount of bowls, each steaming with the same scent. Around the field was also the gold and blue paint, creating a series of spirals of the two paints mixing together with each center of the spiral having a bowl resting on top of it.

The symbols meant nothing to Kimura, but the large snake still eyed the grinning fox warily as she gestured out towards the field of bowls. As she spoke, Kimura sniffed slightly, testing the air, but could only smell the metallic scent of the colored ground and the meaty smell, along with the faint whiff of the girl in front of it.

"All yours. Chicken ramen, made special by me for you. In return, you'll let me go. Deal?" Naruto held her hands up, her smile growing slightly, while watching Kimura simply stare at her and sniff. "Nothing in my hands, either, so I'm not going to do anything..."

Kimura continued to eye her, starting to weigh its options. On one hand, it could taste whatever it wanted...

Wait, that joke was already made.

Kimura flicked its tongue slightly, still weighing its options mentally. Going after the foxy blonde, which Kimura wasn't sure was the real one or not, was one option... But it would probably mean the bowls would be knocked aside by its attack. _But_ if the snake _didn't_ attack the blonde, then it could get all of the bowls and sate its appetite... possibly. The bowls were pretty small...

But then Mother would get upset, especially when Kimura already gave its word..

Kimura rolled the options around in its head before deciding on one option that wasn't directly given: Eat all the bowls of ramen, then continue hunting the foxy blonde. Kimura was a snake, after all, and couldn't give a verbal reply. A nod wouldn't suffice either, so instead it opted to simply slither forward, its forked tongue darting into the first bowl in its path. The sudden flood of the chicken flavoring and the thick noodles that slid down Kimura's tongue caused his mouth to water even more, and it wrapped its tongue around the bowl entirely before pulling it into its mouth.

With a seemingly practiced maneuver, the bowl was licked clean inside Kimura's large mouth before being spat out to the side, rolling across the grassy ground without so much of a scratch on it... Although it did have a few grass stains and pieces sticking to it from the saliva coating the entire thing.

The bowl was avoided as Kimura slithered to the next, and closest, bowl in Kimura's vision. The gray snake's body went right over the spiral the previous bowl had been on, resulting in a bit of the paint coming off and coating its body. This went completely unnoticed as Kimura pulled the second bowl into its mouth, slurping up the contents greedily.

Strangely, though a fact completely missed by the hungry snake, the closest bowl was to its right and slightly closer to the still smiling Genin in the center. Along with that, the spiral under the bowl itself was closer as well. To most people, the strange paint under the food being offered would be considered an oddity, and some would notice that the spirals were actually part of a much bigger spiral. One that went around the entire clearing... with Naruto herself at the center.

But Kimura, despite being a smart snake, had already dismissed the paint and strange symbols as something pointless. An artistic flair, if anything. The large snake _continued_ to ignore the symbols even as it followed them along, slurping up bowl by bowl of the increasingly delicious ramen as its body slithered across the ground. The bottom half of the snake's normally gray form was a mix of blue and gold now from the wet paint it was sliding across, and its lower jaw was the same after resting its head for a moment after one of the bowls.

After eating through fourteen separate bowls, the snake finally turned its head to the left, sliding a bit closer to the center of the clearing and slurping up the last bowl at Naruto's feet. This time, however, its eyes were focused on Naruto herself instead of its prize and in paused mid-lick on the bowl inside its mouth as the girl's face lit up in a foxy grin.

"I hope you enjoyed your meal, Kimura." She stated with a grin, making the large snake blink at having its name used by someone it didn't really know. Alarm bells suddenly went off in its head as she held her hand up, snapping her fingers, and Kimura hastily tried to pull itself away from the blonde in preparation for anything she had in store...

But stiffened in alarm as it found a majority of its body unable to move. Its large head twisted to look at what had happened, but could only make out lumps of blue and gold around both sides of its body at each spiral it had slithered past. A sudden cracking noise brought Kimura's attention upward, and it started in alarm at the sight of several thick branches falling down around its body, each stabbing the ground around Kimura's form, though thankfully not stabbing Kimura itself.

Despite none of the attacks landing on Kimura, the large snake could feel even more of its body being unable to move as if a large pressure was pushing down on it. It hissed in annoyance, its tongue spitting out the bowl towards the girl in front of it as it glared at her with its large yellow eyes, demanding answers. Naruto just grinned as she tilted her head, dodging the bowl as it flew past, and shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"I'm guessing you wanna know what's going on, huh? Well... I'm just making sure you keep your end of the deal. You ate my ramen, and now you're just going to sit here for awhile. Okay?" It was clear Kimura didn't agree with the order as it tried to thrash back and forth, its head twisting left and right, but it seemed nothing it did even slightly loosened the pressure holding its body down. Naruto chuckled at the sight, shaking her head slightly.

"I noticed you don't pull yourself back unless your neck isn't curved, meaning I don't have to worry about you jumping out of here." The blonde stated, grinning at the annoyed look in Kimura's eyes. Due to the bowls having been in a spiral-like shape, Kimura's entire body was twisted in a similar way with its tail resting at the very first spot it had eaten from. The unconscious need to go to the next closest bowl had been the snake's ultimate downfall... If the snake's body had been straight, it could spring itself forward, regardless of anything holding it down.

Naruto smiled, looking around at the field before nodding her head. "I'm glad this worked out, I wasn't really sure if it would, but I guess we're both gonna wait here for Anko-Sensei now, huh?" Kimura flicked its tongue slightly and Naruto chuckled, placing her hand slightly on the snake's large head. "Don't be upset, Kimmy, I'll explain what's holding you down if you'd like?" Kimura flicked its tongue at the nick name, but gave a very slight nod to indicate it wanted answers.

Naruto smiled further, nodding her own head. "Okay, well... First I got your position with my clones, then I used a few things I had to lay this trap. The first part of the trap, and major part, is the paint." She gestured to the spirals that Kimura had slithered over. "I knew if you were used to just seeing it around and smelling it, that you wouldn't pay much attention to it. So what I did was hide my clones underneath it after making sure you were at least slightly used to its scent." One of the large lumps that had appeared around Kimura held its arm up, waving, and the movement let the snake see that it actually was a blonde just sitting there... covered in blue and gold paint.

Naruto smiled, holding up a kunai to the snake's face and waving it around slightly. "With one on each side of the spiral, I had them toss a few of these over each other with wire in-between them then stab them into the ground to keep you still." Pocketing the kunai with her right, Naruto pointed upwards with the remaining hand. "Then I had clones up there drop prepared branches that had sharpened tips at exact points. The branches..." She stepped to the side, gesturing to the four branches that had been behind her around Kimura's large body. "have even more wire spread out between each set of four and each little bowl you ate... got four branches around it, excluding this last one." She grinned, shrugging her shoulders. "And like that, you're trapped. If you had arms, you could just push yourself up, I bet, but being a snake..." She rolled her hand a bit, shrugging.

Kimura blinked slowly at the blonde, not quite sure what it should be feeling from the girl's explanation of the trap. In part, it was aware that there was no real way it could escape without just de-summoning itself. But doing that would most likely upset Mother, especially if the snake did it without being told to or without lethal damage potentially being done. Plus doing so wouldn't actually put Kimura in a better position, since it would have to wait to be re-summoned in order to get back into the fight.

Kimura had to admit it was feeling a bit... impressed with the blonde's planning and execution, though also embarrassment for falling for a trap that seemed so obvious now. The snake mused that Mother would probably not stop making fun of it for quite awhile now...

Its thoughts were put aside as the blonde sat down in front of it, smiling up at Kimura's large eyes. "So! What did you think of the meal, though? Ramen is great, right?" The snake stared for a moment before slowly licking its lips, trying to get its message across. Seeming to understand, Naruto's smile grew in size as she nodded. "I'm glad you liked it! Even though we're kind of fighting right now, I want to be your friend, so I didn't want to use something you'd dislike!" Kimura blinked as the girl extended her hand out towards it, her blue eyes shining along with her teeth from her wide smile. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. It's nice to meet you, Kimura!" She paused, blinking rapidly as she stared down at her extended hand before smiling sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head with her other hand. "Aha... I guess we can't really shake hands, huh?"

The snake let out a low hissing laugh, its tongue extending out suddenly. Naruto stared in wonder as its tongue wrapped slowly around her arm, the forked tips going around her wrist before slowly moving her hand up and down. This caused Naruto's smile to return in full force and she moved her arm up and down slowly to match the tongue's movements, ignoring the slight slimy feeling it gave her.

"Let's get along from now on, Kimmy!"

* * *

 _ **Chapter End! But wait, there's more!**_

 **Tales of the Kunoichi Extra: Fireworks outside**

 **Part 1: A Terrible Mistake?**

"But you can find friends there. Friends you can trust."

These words echoed whenever they were remembered. To her, it was like the voice of a Goddess. The one person she loved above all else, even her own father, despite their past, told her to find friendship. Told her that there was a place where she could find the same connection her sister had found in others. Being of a noble house, having friends wasn't really something spoken about, and it seemed even her own father had little knowledge of the idea.

So she understood his shocked expression when she demanded to be put into the academy, despite being a year younger than when her sister had applied. It had taken a few puppy-dog eyes and annoyed pouts to actually get him to agree, but eventually, she found herself smiling at the large school building, watching various kids that were the same age or slightly older than her run inside.

Truly, this would be the best place to find her friends..!

* * *

"I've made a terrible mistake." Hanabi Hyuuga muttered to herself for the third time since "class" began, having been singled out the second she entered by everyone the instant after joining. Not only had she been forced, though she was glad to do it at first, to introduce herself to the whole class due to joining a week late; but she was also the only Hyuuga in the class.

This made her an instant celebrity and she had to nervously dismiss or outright ignore questions about her clan and especially about her eyes. The amount of boys complimenting her eyes, along with girls saying how jealous they were, flustered the normally stoic girl as well. This went widely unnoticed by everyone but the teacher as she struggled to keep her face completely neutral, but couldn't hide the emotions swimming in her famous eyes.

Suddenly, the teacher slammed a book down onto his desk, gathering everyone's attention to him and giving Hanabi a chance to breathe. "Hey! Class is starting everyone. Leave Hyuuga-San alone and get back to your seats." Iruka Umino yelled, giving the whining children a withering glare as they sulked back to their three-person desks. He turned a smile on Hanabi, however, gesturing towards the now seated class. "Why don't you pick your seat, Hyuuga-San? There's only three open, but you can pick whichever you want."

Hanabi had wished he took that "privilege" away from her and just picked her seat for her. Because he surely knew his class by now and would have known better than to put her where she was now. In fact, the slight grimace on his face she saw while sitting down proved that. The man knew exactly what would happen when she sat down.

If she had known choosing the far right seat on the already occupied desk in the center of the room would have been her doom, she wouldn't have ever tried to get into the academy.

A loud _pffft_ rang through the air, followed by uproars of laughter as a plastic balloon expelled itself under her seat. Unlike most situations where the target would have just sat on it, the balloon had been placed under the legs, keeping it out of sight. The size of the balloon went under each leg and kept it level, though slightly higher than the rest of the chairs.

Thankfully the embarrassment of sitting on the balloon had more or less dissolved since no one could accuse her of making the noise herself. The size of the balloon made a very loud and deep noise as it expelled, which could never come from her small form.

This didn't stop the _cause_ of such a thing from laughing and pointing at her, his scarf flapping behind his back as he turned towards her, his back now to the window that his own desk sat by while the two sitting with him, a girl with orange hair and a boy with a runny nose, were openly giggling behind him.

"Ha! Leave it to a noble Hyuuga to make the loudest entrance!" He joked, earning a few more laughs while Hanabi's head turning towards him slowly, her cheeks slightly pink and her eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth to chide him, but couldn't in time as Iruka intervened once more.

"Konohamaru! I told you to stop that nonsense!" The man snapped out towards the "Honorable Grandson" of the Hokage, getting only a nervous smile in return as the laughter started to die down, though now all amused eyes were turning towards Konohamaru instead.

"Ah, come on Iruka-Sensei. It's not like I knew she'd sit there." Konohamaru tried to reason, running his hand over his spiky brown hair. The glare sent his way only made the grin on his face grow wider, though more nervous as sweat began to beat down the side of his head.

"I think we both know the truth behind _that_ Konohamaru. Now apologize to everyone, especially Hyuuga-San, and remove that from under her seat. If I catch you bringing it again, I'll be taking you to your grandfather myself." Konohamaru flinched from the "threat" of having to deal with his grandfather, the Hokage.

That man really knew how to lay it on thick when it came to that "disappointed stare" thing.

The brown haired prankster coughed into his hand as he stood up, bowing slightly towards Hanabi who was still glaring at him. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean anything bad." His apology received no response at first, but he got his answer after raising his head, only to be blinded by the large rubber toy falling on top of him.

A low _pfft_ was heard from the toy striking him and he stumbled back, pulling it off himself as he fell back onto his chair with a grossed out expression on his face. "Bleck!" He cried out, flicking his tongue up and down a bit. "Some got in my mouuuth... What's the big idea?" The disgust on his face melted into anger as he glared at the Hyuuga, who was calmly sitting back down on her seat.

Hanabi only spared him a cold glance before turning her gaze forward towards the chalkboard. "Just returning your toy. I wouldn't want you to get lonely at night." Her poke at his pride made the boy bristle, while a few other children chuckled under their breaths, but a loud _smack_ noise from Iruka kept him from making a retort.

"That's enough! Konohamaru, put that away and pay attention to class." The Teacher snapped, getting an annoyed "Yes, Sensei" from the Honorable Grandson as he shoved the balloon under the table he sat at. Within moments, the rest of the class began to forget the little incident and focus began to shift back towards Iruka once more as he began his lesson.

That was, of course, until Konohamaru grew restless.

Small spit wads of paper bounced off Hanabi's table and rolled across to the other two sitting with her after about five minutes of Iruka's lecture. Every time Iruka turned his back, another would join the growing wall starting to form. The man himself seemed to feel like something was happening, but he continued to give a lecture while glancing at Konohamaru whenever he was done writing something on the board, which all the students, sans Konohamaru, were trying to copy. Sadly, the heads of the children in front of Hanabi's desk were blocking the spitballs from sight.

It was when a large ball hit the desk, about twice the size of the rest, and began to roll out into a straight line that the three students actually reacted. All three student gave each other a shared glance before coming to a mutual understanding, despite having exchanged no words beforehand.

The boy had to be dealt with.

That was about the third time Hanabi muttered that she made a mistake when another large ball hit the desk, rolling across and forming a second "wall" behind the first. Though this one had the added "bonus" of hitting the top of Hanabi's notebook, a tiny thing with a rabbit resting in the sun on each page given to her by her sister. The slightly wet paper touching the notebook made one of the little rabbits grow a bit damp, which caused Hanabi to quickly yank her notebook back with an annoyed expression growing on her face.

She finally began to turn towards Konohamaru when a hand rested on her shoulder, drawing her attention to one of the girls sitting beside her. She had medium length brown hair, just a bit shorter than Hanabi's own but not going over her shoulders at all, and pale green eyes that were staring at her with mischief. Silently, she held a finger up to her mouth, making a 'Shhh' gesture that caused Hanabi's growing rage to melt into visible confusion as her head tilted slightly.

The girl gestured down slightly with that finger, causing Hanabi to look at the blue shorts and black tank top the girl wore, along with the opened toed blue sandals covering her feet. Her tank top also pushed out slightly thanks to her growing chest, though not by much, and her right leg also had a standard Kunai Pouch strapped to it. But what really caught Hanabi's attention was the thin blue glow around the girl's left index finger that slowly began to extend downward.

Out of instinct, Hanabi's Byakugan snapped to attention, allowing her to see the thin line of chakra that was slithering across the ground now towards the annoying boy that was packing another spit wad under the desk into a small blow pipe. Konohamaru, having no talent in sensing or seeing chakra, didn't even react as the chakra slithered up his chair and around his arm while Hanabi watched silently, though her eyes remained focused on the other student's hand.

After making sure Iruka was properly distracted with his lecture; Konohamaru began to lift his arm up and aim another spitball at the front of Hanabi's desk, not caring that she didn't seem to be looking. But just as he was about to blow the spitball out, his hand was roughly jerked to the side by the string around his wrist, making his whole head turn and face Iruka. The added shock made him add even more force behind his "attack", causing the spitball to easily clear the distance and smack the Chunin on the back of the head.

The whole class gasped while Iruka was forced to pause in the middle of his lecture, his head slowly turning to look at the wide eyed Konohamaru who's blow pipe began to slip from his fingers onto the desk. The scar-faced teacher's eye twitched as his teeth clenched together, staring at the stunned student for a long moment before he finally began to speak.

"Konohamaru... What... did you just do?" His question pulled the boy out of his shock and he looked around rapidly with a nervous expression.

"U.. Uh, it was an accident, I swear. I was just m..making sure it was clean, that's all! I didn't think there was something in there!" The Honorable Grandson rambled out, waving his hands a bit in front of his face. His words were clearly not believed by Iruka, but as if to make sure his coffin was completely sealed, the last member of Hanabi's desk held their hand up.

"Sensei! There's a lot of spitballs under Konohamaru's chair. I think he was going to try and spit them at Hanabi-San." The student called out, causing Hanabi to glance at them a bit in surprise as her Byakugan fell off. The student was a young looking girl with dark blonde hair that had a swoop that went down to cover her right eye, and both eyes seemed to lack and iris, but was a pitch black color, somewhat similar to Hanabi's Byakugan.

Unlike the other girl that had moved Konohamaru's arm with her chakra string, this one was wearing a pale yellow shirt that ended at her shoulders, but had smaller gray sleeves coming out that went to her elbows and ended with an orange hem. The shorts she wore were a dark red and the sandals were a dark gray as well, but still opened toed. There was no visible pouch on her arm and she had a slightly bulkier appearance on her arms and legs than the brown-haired girl did. Her voice had a slightly high pitch, yet it was still gentle and commanding, grabbing everyone's attention the second it became audible.

Her claim, however, had everyone looking over at Konohamaru's chair, including the boy himself who could only stare with wide eyes at the pile of spitballs under his chair. The very same ones he had spat onto Hanabi's desk awhile ago. Including the large ones which still remained unrolled, allowing even Iruka to see them from his position due to the gap between each desk.

Konohamaru quickly jumped to his feet, ready to make plenty of excuses when Iruka simply appeared in front of him, grabbing the boy's ear and causing him to gasp in pain as he struggled. "A.. Ah, that hurts! Let go Iruka-Sensei!" He cried out, earning just a shake of the head from the man.

"And let you run away again? I won't be making that mistake again, Konohamaru. You're coming with me to see your grandfather." There was a loud whine from the small boy, but Iruka ignored it as he addressed the rest of the class. "You all do some self study until I get back and be sure to take what I said into consideration. We'll resume class once I deal with this." With that, he began to pull the boy away, who could only whine and glance towards the collection of spitballs under his seat with confusion. It was clear he had no idea how they got there.

But Hanabi did.

It was thanks to the Byakugan alone that she saw the thin veil seem to wrap around the collection of wet paper on their desk, making all of it take a strange clear shade with a blue aura covering it. Then the same blue strings came from the first girl again, sliding up the desk and silently placing all of the wads below Konohamaru's chair. Despite all eyes being on Konohamaru, the strings brought the pieces down rather obviously and she had no doubt Iruka should have been able to see it, but...

It was almost like they were invisible to the man.

The young Hyuuga turned her gaze towards the two sitting beside her as they grinned, both holding up V-ictory signs with their hands once Iruka was out the door. The action got a small smile from the girl and she bowed her head slightly in return.

"Thank you for that... I believe you kept me from aggressively attacking him. It would have been bad for my first day." Her words brought a laugh out of the blonde one and the brown-haired one just grinned, scratching her cheek.

"Don't worry about it. I should be saying sorry for not warning you about his trick in the first place. I think it was meant for me, but I decided to sit in the middle today. I didn't notice until it was too late." Hanabi just shrugged slightly, dismissing the girl's words with a wave of her hand.

"Don't worry. You were not the one that placed it there, or anything."

The girl shook her head a bit from Hanabi's words, holding her hand out with a smile a moment later. "The name's Mia Amore, by the by. I know we just met, but I hope we can be friends... and keep that jerk from messing with us." Hanabi's heart jumped at the Mia's words, but she hesitantly grabbed the girl's hand, shaking it slowly.

But before she could fully respond, the blonde leaned over from behind Mia, grinning and gripping Hanabi's hand as well. "And I'm Horo Yamanaka. It's a pleasure." The girl wore a large grin as she leaned forward, her black eyes some how sparkling with amusement. "And I'm a guy, by the way."

Hanabi's eyes widened before she could fully mask her emotions and she hastily glanced to the side, coughing a bit. "Ah... I knew you were, of course. Don't look down on my eyes." Both Mia and Horo grinned at that, but were both taken back by the small smile Hanabi sent their way as she moved her arm up and down to officially shake their hands.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you... I would like to be friends." The bright smile on their faces, and the looks of envy on the rest of the class, made Hanabi's heart jump with joy. She glanced down at the rabbit on her notebook, her eyes growing soft at the memory before she turned her gaze back towards her new friends.

 _'Maybe this wasn't a terrible mistake after all.'_

* * *

 _ **Extra... End!**_

 _ **There we have it! The latest addition not only to the main story, but the extras as well! Will that Extra come into play later?**_

 _ **Bet your butt it will.**_

 _ **Anyways, for a few little notes about this chapter... This was to kind of show off that there's more to Kurenai than just Genjutsu. Something I feel was really missing from her kit as a Jounin. Those flower themes really come into play with her fighting style, so expect that to be explored once they get into more intense situations.**_

 _ **As for Kimura vs Naruto... Kimura**_ **could** ** _have won, if it really wanted to. Kimura is/was strong enough to push itself up with its jaw if it wanted to, but only with a lot of effort after the branches came down. That being said... Naruto could have either tried to hold it down, or just escape and reset Kimura to having to deal with hunting down clones. A big thing it wanted to avoid. In a straight and serious fight where Kimura was allowed to kill, though... Well, Naruto may have escaped, but she wouldn't have beat it._**

 _ **Kimura's body works a lot like a spring, though. It has to pull itself back with its muscles to launch itself, although it can also push itself up rather easily with its jaw alone. To compare it to a Canon snake... Let's go with Manda; Orochimaru's boss summon. He's about 60 to 80% as strong as that one, if he's fighting seriously. Intelligence wise he falls behind, but he also has way less of an ego and can't preform any Jutsu. Shedding his skin is still a thing, though, but he's got a much odder body than Manda does.**_

 _ **Now for the extra! That one was kind of just a burst of "I have this planned later, but I've got no build up to it!" So I decided to write an extra to give Hanabi some limelight and just give more flavor to the world of Konoha in general. You can probably expect another thing about these Fireworks later on, but nothing too major like this one was.**_

 _ **As for "Prankster?" Konohamaru, the guy decided to try his hand at the same stuff he heard about his new crush: Naruto. She may have not been ever proven to be a prankster, but she was wildly considered one and Ebisu told him all of her old tricks. While he was forced to swear to never do anything like flooding the Hokage tower with chocolate, he never promised to keep away from mischief entirely. He did it to adapt her mindset to his own: Everything is training.**_

 _ **As for the other new characters!**_

 _ **Horo is actually based on a Canon, or at least in the anime, character! At least appearance wise. See if you can find it. The only real difference is his shirt... and possibly his gender. I couldn't find anything on the canon kid, so I made up the rest of his personality, powers, and family. His full name means "Hollow in the middle of the mountain." He was also originally a girl in the draft I drew up for this, about five seconds before I actually started writing it, but I decided I made too many 3 girl groups and tossed Horo in as a guy. Just a girly one, since he looks like his cousin Ino.**_

 _ **Mia Amore is actually a de-aged version of a character from my previous story: Hope is something to work for! All of her powers overall are going to be the same as well, and I guess you could consider her one of my more consistent OCs now. For those worried about that given where that story went with her...**_

… _**Well, cross your fingers. I know I had one person actually rave at me in a review/comment on that story when it happened to the last Mia. It was honestly surprising, given how minor she was, but don't worry too much. She's younger now and has to grow up with Hanabi!**_

 _ **Anyways! That's it for now. You might not see another chapter for quite awhile since I've been really busy on my videos, but I will try to get stuff out whenever I have free time. Real issue is inspiration to get writing again, but meh. It'll come with time!**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed!**_


	22. Team Building!

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

 _ **Hey! Another chapter out so soon? Must be Christmas!**_

… _**It's not. It's nearing Halloween, though.**_

 _ **Anyways, this chapter is actually a really important one and I'm eager to see what everyone has to say about it! More at the bottom! Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

 _ **Minutes later...**_

Kurenai stared blankly at the large snake below the branch she was standing on, her eyebrow arching up slowly. It hadn't taken long to find the snake, having followed the sound of the last crash and the imprints the gray body left on the ground, but it had been surprising to find it in such a situation. Completely tied up by thin, almost invisible, wires across its body with several blue and gold clones around it, all sitting in more blue and gold paint...

And what Kurenai believed to be the real Naruto sitting in front of the snake's large head, holding a bowl of ramen out to it, which the snake accepted with its long tongue. Naruto smiled and began to eat from her own bowl of ramen, slurping up the thick noodles with her chopsticks. Several other bowls were discarded along the forest floor, along with several thick branches that seemed to be imbedded in the ground...

 _'Suppose that means Naruto managed to keep Anko's snake down, somehow.'_ The red-eyed Jounin noted to herself, shaking her head slightly in amusement. After a moment of watching, she turned away and jumped back into the trees, humming to herself. The thought of going down and dismissing Kimura had been in her mind, but the idea itself was dismissed after brief consideration. _'That snake never listens to me anyways... It'll only listen to Anko.'_ She shrugged slightly, sighing as she kicked off another branch.

 _'Speaking of which, I should find her. If she's left with Ino too long, then who knows what will happen to that girl...'_ Kurenai frowned slightly, a brief image of Ino being hung upside down over a pit of snakes popping in her mind. The woman personally doubted Anko would ever intentionally harm the girls, at least enough to cripple or kill them, but she _was_ a bit infamous for her temper. The Tokubetsu Jounin hid it behind an air of indifference at points, or through jokes and gags... But Kurenai knew her quite well, enough to know there was always the slightest chance she'd do something she'd regret later.

Like when she drank herself silly and flirted with Hayate Gekko right in front of his girlfriend, Yugao. Or the following event of challenging Yugao to a fight over him, which ended in both women passed out on the floor and Hayate just staring on.

Kurenai chuckled to herself, smiling fondly at the memory. It had been years ago, before she was Jounin or Yugao had become completely dedicated to ANBU, creating the rather serious persona that had greeted her when she came to ask for Naruto...

A time before the Uchiha were all killed and Yugao's captain left Konoha.

That memory dampened Kurenai's mood and she sighed, brushing away a small branch in front of her just as her feet stepped down on a thicker branch. _'This is what happens when I'm left alone to my thoughts. Always go for the depressing stuff. '_ She chuckled a bit, jumping off the branch and towards the forest floor after noticing all the branches in front of her had been completely destroyed by something. _'Most likely Kimura.'_ She noted with a bit of amusement, stepping over one of the fallen pieces of wood.

Continuing to walk forward, Kurenai allowed her mind to wander and she briefly wondered what the other Genin teams were doing...

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

Team 6, made of Shizuka Ami, Miou Kasumi, and Fuki were quietly scrubbing at the stone in front of them while their teacher, Shiranui Genma, watched on from his perch on a tree.

"Scrub faster, girls. You've got a good portion of the wall to go." Genma shouted out to them, leaning back against the trunk and putting his feet up. He grinned at the annoyed look Ami and Fuki sent his way, flicking the senbon in his mouth up in response. After she looked away, he glanced over with pride at his students, honestly impressed with how far three civilian girls had come in such a short time. Mentally, physically, and especially in personality.

Ami was the key to that after Genma had given her a stern talking to about her attitude. The bullying, the dismissal of her teammates, and especially her actions regarding the people she had gone through the academy with. The way she continued to constantly ignore his orders at first had also got on his nerves and ended up with the normally laid-back Jounin "putting the hurt" on his little students in the form of excess training. Thankfully, the message seemed to get through that the academy days were over.

Now the purple haired girl, who had been temporarily blonde the first few days of training, was far more serious in her training than before and seemed to respect Genma more once he put his foot down. In return, he gave her the respect she deserved as his student. With his help, her body began to change as well. She had already grown several inches and her purple hair had grown, though her left side was still notably longer in length and hung past her chest while her hair overall went a bit past her shoulders.

She still wore her usual vertically striped shirts, today's being a light pink color with purple stripes, and a set of dark blue pants and sandals. Her pouch was strapped to her left side and, as if to mark who's student she was, a small senbon, about half the size of the usual ones, was hanging from her right ear by a string. Her body overall had become into a rather tough looking form and her chest was beginning to show against her shirt, after Genma drilled in the proper way to eat for a Ninja.

The other two followed suit for the shift in Ami's personality, but that was also something that had to be changed. Fuki and Kasumi were nothing more than followers for Ami at first, and even their transition into "proper" students had been something they merely followed Ami for. They had no real qualities to themselves.

But, once again, Genma had set a student straight.

Fuki was the first, and he actually received assistance from Ami on her, to get the girl to think for herself. Genma constantly put her in situations where she had to decide for herself on what to do and anytime she would go to Ami for help, the purple-haired girl would refuse. This helped shape her personality quite nicely after doing it a few times. Now she was able to think for herself and even helped Ami at times when it came to planning during training sessions.

The girl was still rather... rough in how she spoke, often using slang of some type instead of the proper word or just pronouncing it oddly, but Genma decided that was probably due to the girl being a orphan of the Kyuubi attack and having no parents to teach her how to speak when growing up. That was also why the girl had no last name unlike her teammates; there were simply no notes on what her last name would be and since no one ever adopted her, she remained without a surname.

But Genma didn't really care about any of that, nor did her teammates. What he did care about, however, was the way she had physically evolved through the hard training he put the girl through.

Like Ami, Fuki had grown taller and her chest was beginning to form as well, but unlike Ami there was not much muscle to her body at all. Instead, all of the extra muscle she had gained seemed to just disappear even though she gained the power, resulting in her body having a rather slender appearance but packing a serious punch whenever an attack connected. Also, like Ami, the girl was wearing an outfit that was her usual attire, even back in the academy.

A two-colored blouse, the left half being a soft red and the other half being a dark blue, with light purple pants and sandals covering her lower body. Her red hair was, as always, spiked up for unknown reasons and her brown eyes were openly glaring at the wall in front of her as she scrubbed and scrubbed at it. The most noticeable feature of the girl's outfit was the long gray scarf wrapped around her neck with both ends going down the front of her body, one on each side of her colored shirt.

As far as Genma knew, it was the only thing that had been left with her in the wreckage of her home during the Kyuubi's attack and the orphanage had simply left it with her. He had yet to see the girl without it. It was also the only reason the girl was not simply given a name, due to the stitched "Fuki" in red string on the side against her neck. It was the only hint of her real identity.

The last member of the team, Miou Kasumi, had probably changed the most since they left the academy. Physically and mentally. The orange haired girl had been a follower like Fuki, but with a sense of .. _desire_ to her actions. In Genma's experienced opinion, the girl had simply wanted to walk the same path as someone else. Someone she was close to. Who that was exactly, Genma had no idea, but he was certain she had at least found the starting point if her shift in attitude and appearance was any indication.

Physically, the girl's already broad shoulders had gotten a bit bigger as she grew and so had the length of her legs. Even now, after their own growth, Kasumi was a good few inches above both of her teammates and her chest had grown faster, resulting in a bit of jealousy between the two since the group had always complained about Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata having developed much faster than the rest of the class. But despite the growth of her body, it was actually Kasumi's head that had changed the most.

What was once a large light-orange afro on her head was now brushed neatly down her back, completely straightened and reaching down to her hips. The strands of hair flowed neatly in the breeze and the shuriken shaped hair clip was resting on the left side of her head, keeping her bangs out of her eyes as she rubbed at the wall with her sponge. Her face was still rounded, but the difference in her expression made it seem much more fresh than it had when she was constantly scowling with her eyes squinted shut.

Now her eyes were just barely open and a small smile was on her face, tilted up towards her small nose. Her eyes, apparently to the surprise of the entire team when she opened them, were a bright red, giving her a rather attractive look. Though she never seemed to open them all the way, always giving Genma or her teammates a half-lidded stare at most and only keeping them slightly open in a majority of situations.

Her outfit, just like her teammates, hadn't shifted much from the academy either. A loose shirt that was a dark red, but with a lighter shade on the sleeves, covered her top half. But the shirt had an opening at the top that showed off the fishnet she wore underneath, slightly showing off the top of her growing "assets" to anyone who looked, much to the annoyance of her teammates. Her pants were the only thing that had changed, being the same cargo-pants most Ninja wore with her pouch resting on her right hip, though she currently had her shirt tucked into her pants due to it being too long. Something Genma had gotten onto her about, since it would cover up her pouch if allowed to simply hang loose.

All in all, though, Genma had to admit his girls were already looking far better than they had when they got out of the academy. Back when he had the test for them, they had barely passed with Ami's leadership and each of them had physically been unfit due to diets and lack of training. Now he could say they were all at least as trained as the clan members they had been in the same classroom as.

Back in the academy, at least.

 _'Who the hell knows how strong **those**_ _kids are now if a lazy ass like me can get a bunch of civs into shape.'_ Genma thought to himself in amusement, turning his gaze away from his students and up towards the wall they had been scrubbing for the past hour. _'Of course, I've got a pretty damn good idea which kid caused this big mess. To the whole wall, no less.'_ He shook his head slightly, looking up at Konoha's surrounding wall.

What _exactly_ they were scrubbing off it was still up for debate, but Genma knew it was, at the very least, meant to be a drawing of some kind... in dark blue paint mixed with red in seemingly random spots. At first glance, it looked to be a bear standing on its back legs and roaring... But the entire thing seemed to have dripped downward instead of simply resting on the wall, causing what Genma assumed to be the red eyes to slide down to the bear's "chest" area. The red that he _couldn't_ explain were the random round spots between the trail from the eyes. A messy mouth, perhaps?

Along with that bit, the arms had dripped down and looked more like melting marshmallows, just a weird blue color. The bottom half of the bear was just a round blob, having no feet at all, and touching the grassy ground below it at the bottom of the wall. The Jounin was sure that wasn't intentional, but the entire thing _screamed_ Uzumaki Naruto. He had been there when the chocolate had been delivered that one day...

Something to this extent was definitely up her alley.

 _'Big question is why, rather than how.'_ He noted to himself, humming quietly. After a brief moment of considering it himself, he smiled and decided to ask his little kiddies. "Hey, girls. You've been scrubbing for awhile, so let's have a small quiz."

There was a slight groan from Ami, who continued to scrub, but the other two turned towards him curiously and paused in their work. He grinned a bit, flicking his senbon up and down with his tongue as Fuki spoke. "What's cookin' in your head this time, Sensei?" She had a rather curious tone to her slightly husky voice, always sounding like she was speaking with a lot of breath...

 _'Probably because of that scarf always choking her.'_ Genma mused to himself, smiling as he leaned up from his perch to answer Fuki. "Just going to ask if you could think of a reason we've got to do this job." He paused, waving his hand slightly as he realized he could have worded it better and ignoring the quiet "We?" Ami muttered under her breath. "Basically asking if you can think of any reason for someone to make this mess."

"I've been wondering that myself, Sensei." Kasumi admitted in her quiet voice, staring up at the mess of paint above them. Ami clicked her tongue in response, letting out a low chuckle which brought everyone's attention to her.

"Probably some dumbass looking for a laugh..." Genma rolled his eyes slightly, while Kasumi just stared with a slight smile on her face.

Fuki was the one who responded, her eyebrow arched slightly. "A laugh? I ain't thinkin' that some gal would slappah big ol' mess like this all over the wall." She shook her head slightly, huffing as she slapped the wall with her sponge. "Nottah mention the inside 'pposed ta be a li'l messy too."

Ami frowned at her friend, though she didn't respond. Instead she just turned her head away and let out a _huff_ , going back to scrubbing. Fuki continued to speak, waving her arm around and slinging water from her sponge into the grass behind her.

"Nottah mention it's all over the dang wall, y'know? Like, one gal can't do alllllll this." She shook her head, her arms spread wide apart, looking back at the smiling Genma. "Ain't there, like, four whole teams 'round it too?"

"One team for every two messes on the wall, yes." He nodded, hopping down from the tree and sliding his hands into his pockets. "But there's also two or three teams inside the wall, cleaning up the mess in there." That bit of info got a surprised look from the girls, though Kasumi's "look" was just an arched eyebrow, and he just shrugged slightly. "You still haven't answered me though. Why would someone do this?"

Team 6 went silent for a long moment, the only noise being the slight scraping sound of Ami's sponge as she continued to rub at the wall. After a minute or two, that same girl spoke up.

"Maybe to send a message?" Ami's words caused everyone to arch their eyebrows at her, which, in turn, caused the girl's face to light up slightly from the sudden attention. She scrubbed faster with a huff. "You know, like... It's nothing dangerous, just annoying. Sort of like when we drew on the Academy walls."

"You drew on the academy walls?" Genma's stern tone made Ami flinch while the other two looked embarrassed at the memory Ami brought up. They had each done poorly on a test and decided to take it out on the walls with their new paint sets, ultimately blaming it on Naruto who had just joined the Academy at that time.

 _'We should probably apologize for that.'_ Kasumi thought to herself, but kept them to herself as she glanced towards her teacher. "It was quite some time ago. A couple years, I think."

"'Bout four." Fuki supplied and Genma sighed slightly, flicking his senbon a bit up and down.

"Fine, you're off the hook. Don't do that again, though." They each nodded in agreement, though Ami scoffed slightly as she looked up at the wall again.

"After this, I doubt I'd want to be around paint again. Let alone draw something myself with it." Fuki chuckled a bit and Kasumi smiled softly, placing her sponge against the wall.

"That's a shame, you always had such lovely paintings." The tall Genin muttered, getting a glare from her "leader" that wasn't nearly intimidating as usual due to the large blush on her cheeks.

"Shush it, Kas." She snapped out, her glare increasing while Kasumi's smile just grew in size. The orange haired girl made a "zip" motion on her lips, though did not stop smiling.

Chuckling a bit at his students, Genma walked up and placed his hand on Ami's head, ruffling her hair slightly. Ignoring the annoyed look she wore now being sent up to him, he spoke. "The idea of this being to send a message is pretty good. No clue if it's true, though." He grinned to himself as they stared up at him blankly. _'Three... two... one...'_

"Why the hell did you quiz us then!?"

"That ain't funny, teach!"

"Hm."

Their comments, or Kasumi's lack of, came at the same time and he chuckled softly as he shrugged his shoulders, pulling his hand off Ami's head. "To see what you thought. I'm pretty sure you're right, though, so I'll count it as full credit." He stepped back and undid one of the pockets of his vest, sliding out a small scroll that was small enough that he could close his hand around it to hide the entire thing from view. He took out a small pen as well, rolling the scroll open with his fingers and humming as he made a few marks on the paper.

His students watched curiously, but already knew what he was doing. One oddity of Genma's teaching methods was his consistent need to write down anything that he taught them on the small scroll of his. Usually it was only for "big" things they could actually use, like the tree walking exercise they had been training in yesterday... Which Genma had told them not to use today, as walking on wet paint was a lot different than walking on solid rock. Better safe than sorry.

But another oddity of Genma was how he wrote in his scroll. Because it was so small, there wasn't really room for full words or Jutsu names, resulting in Genma having adapted to using a strange type of writing that consisted of single letters and shapes. When he had showed the scroll's contents to his students the first time, it had appeared to them as nothing but chicken scratch, though he claimed it was a recording of how well the girls could preform a technique individually.

Seeming to be done with his writing for now, Genma rolled his scroll up and placed it back in the same pocket he took it from. "Alright, it's time to teach you girls something that will hopefully speed this up. Go drop those sponges back in the bucket." He jerked his thumb back towards the tree he had been on, which had a large bucket of water placed under it at the base. Originally it had been near the girls, but Fuki had accidentally knocked it over, so they decided to move it back.

The girls all walked over to the tree, tossing the sponges inside the bucket, causing some of the paint and water to splash out onto the grass. At once, the three turned to face Genma, who was humming and staring up at the wall. Sensing his students gazes, he turned around with a smile and held his hands up.

"Alright, what I'm going to teach you is a _**Suiton**_ Jutsu. It's going to be pretty basic, so don't get too excited, but hopefully you'll each be able to handle it." He nodded towards Fuki, smiling a bit. "Bring that bucket over and place it at the base of the wall." The red-head nodded slowly, turning to do so while Ami clicked her tongue.

"You sure you want her to do it, Sensei? She's not good with water." The girl pointed out with a teasing tone, getting a slight blush from her friend who was already picking the bucket up.

"Oi, shaddap, ain't my fault water sloshes 'round like it owns the place." Fuki snapped back, grumbling as she walked by her grinning friend, placing the bucket at the instructed place. After walking back to the other girls, Fuki lightly punched Ami's shoulder, an action she wouldn't even dream of doing back in the Academy in the fear of Ami leaving her behind.

But now the punch was met with a grin and a returned attack, with Ami's fist landing lightly on Fuki's head. Then it was Kasumi who put herself in the middle, grabbing their wrists and holding them up with her ever present smile on her face. "Don't start fighting, you two... Sensei wishes to speak to us." Ami let out a _huff_ and jerked her hand back, rolling her eyes as she turned to face Genma.

"So what's the deal this time, Sensei?" She questioned, glancing over at Fuki briefly. The girl was sticking her tongue out at Kasumi, her hand having been released from the orange haired girl's grasp and was back at her side.

Genma chuckled a bit at the three, flicking his senbon around a bit. "The "deal" is a pretty basic Jutsu. It's not very useful in most cases unless you get smart with it, because it can't be used with the body's internal water supply. Well..." He hummed, glancing up towards the sky. "Unless you want a massive hole in your hand, or something."

The wide eyed looks he saw out of the bottom of his vision were amusing, but he kept his face neutral as he continued to speak. "It's called _**Suiton: Chikara Sutorimu**_ (Water Release: Force Stream.)" He looked down at them, holding his hands up and starting to slowly go through the hand seals in front of them. Used to his method of teaching, the girls started to follow suit and repeated themselves twice as per his instructions the last time they had learned a Jutsu, which had been a basic _**Katon**_ Jutsu called _**Katon: Tochi**_ (Fire Release: Torch) to create a flame on their finger tips. Nothing enough to actually cause harm, but enough to light their way or start a fire if they were camping.

"This Jutsu..." Genma started to explain, but not show as he lowered his hands once he saw them repeat the hand seals perfectly two times each. ".. is a special Jutsu that can control the direction water flows with chakra. Usually it's only sent upwards through the combination of pressing it down then up. But if you have enough control, you could move it around as you wish, but usually moving it back then forcing it forward will give you more pressure to work with and increase the range and force behind it."

"Sort of like a bow, or sling shot, then?" Ami muttered to herself, though not quietly enough for the rest to not hear, prompting Genma to nod his head.

"Exactly like that. Because of that, you can probably guess why you don't want to use your body water for it." He chuckled a bit at the horrified expression Fuki gave him, while Ami merely clicked her tongue and Kasumi stared up at the wall.

"So what shall we do, Sensei?" Kasumi questioned, looking back down at the bucket. "I don't think that bucket will be enough regardless..."

"True." Genma agreed, shrugging his shoulders slightly as he flicked his senbon around. "The most useful thing I could say would be to try and use the Jutsu to control the water before it falls down... Or you could just get more water from somewhere." He shrugged slightly. "Regardless, we still have another piece of the wall to wash, so you have to get more water at some point..."

"Tch, whatever, let's get this over with." Ami snapped out, stepping forward and starting to preform the hand seals Genma showed her. Expecting disaster, Genma took a step away from the bucket and watched as Ami called out the Jutsu, holding the Horse seal. " _ **Suiton: Chikara Sutorimu**_!" She cried out, focusing her chakra on the bucket of water in front of her.

Only two seconds later did the water actually move, bubbling like it was being heated up before the top half of the water sprayed up slightly and fell out of the bucket. Ami twitched at the sight, her hands falling to her side while Kasumi and Fuki both chuckled behind her. This, of course, caused Ami to turn her glare on the two, silencing them but not keeping the grins off their faces.

Genma chuckled himself, and didn't stop when the glare turned to him, as he placed a hand on Ami's head. "Not bad for your first try. When I did it the first time, I just knocked the glass of water over. Considering your water source is a lot bigger than mine, I'd say you did well." Ami blinked at the praise, a faint blush coming to her face as Genma's hand slid off her head and he turned his gaze towards the other two. "Kasumi, you're next. Give it a shot."

Kasumi smiled slightly, walking closer while Ami returned to her spot beside Fuki. "Yes, Sensei." In a flash, Kasumi slid through the hand seals easily, having a better muscle memory than her two teammates as well. In just a second, the girl called out the Jutsu. " _ **Suiton: Chikara Sutorimu**_."

This time the reaction was much slower and Kasumi slowly tilted her head as she stared at the bucket, humming quietly to herself. Ami quickly began to snicker a bit, mostly as revenge, while Genma rubbed his chin thoughtfully as the group stared at the unmoving water. Kasumi looked over at her teacher, getting a slight nod from him. "Try again."

Nodding, Kasumi turned her head back to the bucket and preformed the seals a bit slower, calling out " _ **Suiton: Chikara Sutorimu**_!" and forcing more chakra into the Jutsu, trying to force the water "down" and then "up" like Genma had instructed. But her efforts seemed to be in vain as the water seemed to refuse to move and, for once, Kasumi's smile fell to a straight line as her head tilted to the side again.

"Seems like it's not your type of Jutsu." Genma noted, smiling slightly as he put his hand on Kasumi's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Your chakra affinity is most likely fire or lightning. Both of those don't do well with learning _**Suiton**_ Jutsu." The girl sighed, nodding slightly at the explanation. The girls had already been informed of chakra affinities back in the academy, although none of them knew their own.

With her expression still neutral, Kasumi returned to her spot on Ami's other side, ignoring the grin on the purple-haired girl's face. On the other hand, Fuki was gulping as she made her way up to the bucket, her expression nervous as she looked over at Genma for support. The man smiled and gave her a thumbs up, causing her to smile slightly in return after seeing his belief in her.

"Come on, Fuki, you can do this! Just don't trip!" Ami called from behind, grinning wide as Fuki turned a playful glare back at her. Kasumi rolled her eyes, but gave her friend an encouraging smile... which looked the same as all her other small smiles, but still had the implied effect as the red-head turned back towards the bucket.

Slower than her teammates, Fuki went through the required seals and stared intently down at the water, calling out " _ **Suiton: Chikara Sutorimu!**_ " with a loud shout accompanying it right after.

It was by complete surprise, even Fuki herself, as the water suddenly jerked downward and then shot up into a massive pillar that went slightly above the top of the painting, though not above the wall. All of the girls were openly gaping, though Kasumi's was just her mouth slightly open and her eyes half open, while the water came down and splashed against the wall, sending a large amount of paint towards the base. However, the sudden gravity pushing down on the water caused a wave to wash over the bottom half of Fuki's body, soaking it along with the shoes of the other two when the water reached them.

The group went silent, except for the sound of the running water, before...

"That... was... amazing!" Ami cried out, being the first to break the silence, ignoring her soaked feet as she dashed forward and threw her arms around the stunned red-head from behind. "I thought you were terrible with water, but you just... Wow!" She laughed, shaking her friend a bit who blinked and slowly laughed as well, rubbing the back of her head.

"W... Well, whadiya know. Guess I jus' got the riiiight touch." The girl boasted, chuckling as Ami ruffled her hair with a grin.

Kasumi let out her own soft laugh as she walked up, her feet splashing in the water as she stared at the large bits of paint on the left and right of where the water had hit. "I do not believe you had been touching the water, though, Fuki." She lightly teased, toying briefly with her shuriken hairpiece.

In response, the red-head just stuck her tongue out at her friend, about to respond when Genma chuckled from above them. All eyes turned towards the Jounin as he smiled down at them from his perch on a nearby tree once more, having jumped away the second the water started to move.

"Very nice, Fuki, but you'll have to learn how to control that power too. Too little is no use, and too much can be excessive. Got it, girls?" The resounding _"Hai, Sensei!"_ made him grin as he kicked his feet slightly off the branch. "Each of you should keep practicing until you can get it at least past the remaining paint. Try to not go _too_ high, though, Fuki."

The brown-eyed girl nodded, tugging slightly at her scarf with a slight smile, hiding it behind her scarf soon after with her head lowering. Kasumi hummed slightly in response, staring down at her hands, while Ami was already starting to go through the seals, eager to master the Jutsu her friend had already beat her at.

Seeing Kasumi's concern, Genma hopped down, his feet floating above the small water source under him, though it seemed the lack of splash was only noticed by Kasumi herself, who arched an eyebrow and looked down at his feet. He smiled knowingly, flicking his senbon around a bit and giving her a slight shrug.

"Don't worry about it." The dismissal was met with an amused glance, and he chuckled a bit himself while Fuki glanced back in confusion. There was also a heavy splash as Ami managed to get the water to flow up the wall, about up to her knees, before falling down onto the ground once more. "You'll need to refill the bucket to get any real work done with that, Ami." Genma stated, getting a 'Tch' from the girl.

"I'll figure it out. Shaddap Sensei!" She snapped out, running through the Jutsu's seals once more.

Genma chuckled, shaking his head and turning his gaze back towards Kasumi. "Anyways... If you'd like, I'll give you something to work with on your own while these two try with the bucket." Kasumi arched her eyebrow a bit as the man dug through the pouch on his backside, pulling out a glass bottle of water and handing it to her. "Smaller sources are easier to manipulate like that. Just be careful not to burst the bottle open." Kasumi slowly nodded, taking the glass bottle and pulling out the wooden cork keeping it shut.

"Ah!" Ami shouted as water spout out from the ground, getting the attention of the others as water washed over her, coating her in wet paint as well. "Ick! It's all over meee..!" She whined loudly while Fuki openly laughed at her misfortune. "Don't laugh at me, Fuki! Your pants are like that too!"

"Yeh, but your _hair_ is like... super blue!" Came the laughing response, prompting Ami to turn and throw a playful punch.

"Why you! I'll show you blue... Black and blue!" She shouted, only for her half-blinded punch to be caught by Genma, who chuckled softly down at the two.

"Alright, alright, girls... Why don't you two go to the lake and clean up and refill the bucket while you're at it?" They both grumbled at his words, causing him to roll his eyes. "Go on now, you can practice the Jutsu at the lake so you don't have to keep refilling it, then you can come back and clean up the paint when you have it down. Alright?"

"Hai, Sensei." They both responded at once, lifting the bucket up and starting to head towards the nearest source of water, which was a small lake not far from Konoha's wall.

"I'll go keep an eye on them, Sensei." Kasumi stated, putting the cork back in the glass bottle as Genma nodded his head, not noticing the gleam in Kasumi's eyes as she stared off towards her teammates.

"I'm going to go tell the other teams that the wall paint is weak to water." Genma said, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "Figure everyone might want to teach their kids a good _**Suiton**_ Jutsu... Don't let those two get in trouble while I'm gone, Kasumi." Kasumi nodded, giving him a mock salute.

"Hai, Sensei. I shall keep a... _close_ eye on them." Genma blinked at the emphasis on _close_ , but dismissed it a moment later with a smile.

"Good. See you soon." Kasumi nodded, beginning to walk after her teammates, while Genma's body disappeared behind her in a swirl of leaves. The man himself had not actually disappeared, however, and had simply moved to a nearby tree which he jumped off of to the next nearest one, humming to himself. _'Well, the outside wall can be cleaned off with water at least... But that makes me feel bad for the teams on the inside of the wall. After all, we can't just flood it.'_

He sighed, glancing over at the second painting his team was assigned and stopped to stare for a moment at what he thought was meant to be a wolf... of some kind. Dismissing it, Genma hopped across the trees, flicking his senbon around a bit. _'Oh well. That's their problem, not mine.'_

* * *

 _ **Team 7... Inside the wall.**_

"This sucks." Kiba grumbled, rubbing his arms slightly, walking beside the rest of his team. Akamaru, Kiba's faithful companion, let out a yap of agreement with his normally perky expression being one of extreme exhaustion. Thankfully, unlike Kiba, Akamaru had a ride in the shape of Kiba's head and used that time to rest his sore paws. Kiba grunted a bit, running his hand briefly on the wall to his right.

"Troublesome." Came the response of Shikamaru Nara, his hands in his pockets of his gray jacket as he rolled his shoulders a bit, looking just as exhausted if not more than Akamaru... Although the boy always looked tired; a trait that might follow him to his final days. He was walking on Kiba's left, letting out low yawns every now and then.

"..." Sasuke, the last member of the team on Shikamaru's left, had no verbal response but the scowl he wore on his face showed that he, for once, agreed with his teammates entirely. He was slowly flexing and unflexing his fingers, his eye twitching every time he felt one of his sore bones pop.

"Maa, maa... We're almost at the end everyone." Kakashi Hatake encouraged with a grin under his mask, his eye closed in the shape of a smile itself, while his other eye remained covered by his headband. "I told you this would be good training, at least. Why, I can practically _feel_ your muscles increasing from here!" The glares they all sent his way sent him into a fit of mental giggles, but he only allowed his smile to widen on the outside as he walked behind the three towards their final destination.

The group had been assigned with inner-wall cleaning by the Hokage using the same entrance whoever had done the deed had used, in order to cover the tracks completely. Now how the Hokage _knew_ they used that entrance was beyond even Kakashi, since there were no signs of entry, but it was possible that meant the one who had done it was under the Hokage's orders themselves. Which meant this was, at least some what, intentional.

The mission was a rather simple one: Clean up the mess on the _left_ side of the entrance. The right had another team, possibly two, assigned to it and Kakashi had no intention of asking for the entire wall to clean. Not only did it cut into his reading time, since the wall was rather dark even with a fire Jutsu or an actual torch, but his students were already extremely sore after cleaning three rooms full of paint, especially when their only light was a torch due to the wall having no electricity for lights inside it.

There was also hallway outside the rooms that they had to clean, though thankfully all the paint seemed to be only in the area of the doors, rather than all along the massive wall. Whatever or whoever did the paint job had intended for the paint to only appear at those rooms, apparently.

The paint itself seemed to be made with the intention of making several designs. Shuriken, kunai, scrolls, and even what looked like the Hokage's hat had been just a few of the drawings planted onto the walls. The rooms themselves sometimes had blotches of solid color, which Kakashi assumed to have just been an issue with whatever had created the paint in the first place, rather than a design choice. The most amusing picture had been an actual picture of Sasuke's face, but with a duck on his head instead of his usual hair style.

Kiba had laughed quite a bit at that one, and even refused to clean it up, stating that it was "true art." Shikamaru had just turned away to hide his smirk. Kakashi just stared blankly, keeping his laughter hidden to himself, and Sasuke...

Well, he hit it with a fireball, resulting in the paint igniting and exploding in their faces. Thankfully it didn't actually do any harm, only having enough force behind it to send them stumbling back at most, but the end result had left the duck-part of the picture completely gone, leaving a bald headed Sasuke in its place. That had got a few more good laughs out of the group, with Shikamaru and Kakashi openly joining in, while Sasuke simply glared at all of them fiercely.

Then came the actual cleaning. Which wasn't hard, in Kakashi's opinion. He gave them each a sponge and a bucket full of water, and told them to get to work. The bucket was refilled or emptied by his own techniques, which caused his students to learn simply by watching him. He also made sure they watched him light a torch and place it on the wall for them. This was something the three had figured out the hard way. If they didn't watch what he did and learn from it, he wouldn't teach them anything.

Kakashi wasn't exactly proud of his team, but he wasn't disappointed either. Kiba and Shikamaru seemed to get along, and Sasuke had a sort of grudging respect for the smart Nara, while having a rivalry with Kiba. Kiba himself seemed to understand Sasuke even more than Kakashi could, often stating things that made Sasuke jump into action when he would otherwise ignore Kakashi's demands to learn something, such as the tree walking exercise the trio had began to learn. Why Sasuke seemed so eager to prove that he could beat Kiba at it was beyond him, but perhaps that was because he never had a true rivalry with someone... Not when he had been so far above his teammates in terms of skill, while Sasuke was some-what even with them.

The thought of teammates caused Kakashi to glance at the oddest part of the group... The single white dog resting on Kiba's head. As someone who took care of dogs himself, Kakashi knew what a dog needed to grow strong and told Kiba to make sure Akamaru got all of the same exercise he did, including chakra related ones. While Nin-dogs didn't have nearly the same amount of chakra as their "partners", or the ability to use actual Jutsu, they could still preform seal-less Jutsu such as the tree walking, especially since it only required control.

Because of Akamaru's position in the team, he was given the same duties as all the others, which was why he was currently fast asleep on Kiba's head, having over worked himself with the sponge Kakashi made him use with his paws on the paint on the ground. Ironically, Kakashi had to say that Akamaru probably cleaned up the most compared to the rest, but that was probably only because the dog only had to really slide around on the sponge instead of scrubbing away in most cases.

But... Overall, he'd have to say his team was decent, at best. Taijutsu wise, Sasuke and Kiba were some-what impressive with both their styles, though Kiba was too reckless and Sasuke was far too arrogant. Shikamaru wasn't really active enough for Taijutsu, but he had shown to be resourceful and level headed when he had to get into a physical fight... He just preferred to run away and engage from afar instead, since it gave him more room to think. Akamaru couldn't do much yet without relying on Kiba.

Ninjutsu, the group had learned a few basic Jutsu and he made sure they mastered the _**Kawarimi**_ , but only their clan Jutsu or Sasuke's _**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu**_ really stuck out in their list of resources. None of them had really mastered tree walking yet, since the mission had interrupted their training session for it, but he was sure they would get it down by tomorrow if they kept up the pace they had been going on.

As for Genjutsu... Well, that wasn't really Kakashi's forte and he had thought of asking Kurenai for help in teaching them a few. But overall, he just focused on making sure they knew how to get out of some and how to resist them. He was certain that only Kiba and Akamaru would have issues noticing that they were in a Genjutsu, but Shikamaru and Sasuke might have issues if they aren't paying attention.

Kakashi sighed to himself, looking over his team slowly while they walked. He wondered, briefly, what it would have been like to have the team he had _thought_ he would get... Especially that blonde girl that bounced around like his old friend. She probably would have made having a team far more enjoyable, since two out of the four in his team were very quiet unless spoken to. Hell, Kiba was the only one that even really complained when he arrived late, the other two just stared at him. It was awkward.

The Jounin's thoughts were brought to a halt as his students stopped in front of him, causing him to _hmmm_ thoughtfully. "Something wrong, kiddies?" He looked up to see what made them stop, but could only see the walls covered in the same Ninja-tool shaped paint as the others.

"Something is... different." Sasuke muttered, glancing across the hallway to the metal door wide open in front of them. Shikamaru nodded in agreement with his own eyes darting around, while Kiba let out a low growl.

"Different smell, too. It's too covered up by the paint, but... _something_ here had a strong smell..." His nose and Akamaru's were both twitching from the scent, their eyes closing as they sniffed the air. Kakashi let out a low hum, looking around the area slowly himself. He hadn't really been paying attention to his surroundings during the last few rooms, but...

 _'Hm, wait... There's definitely a strange scent in the air, and...'_ His eyes glanced to the stone across from the door, which was cracked slightly with a few scattered across the ground. A slight burn mark was also on the edge of the paint against the wall, appearing on the ground as well, but most of it being covered up by the dark blue paint in the shape of a large scroll... There was definitely _something_ different from this area, compared to the rest they had been cleaning up.

Kakashi smiled to himself, ruffling the hair of Shikamaru and Sasuke, much to their annoyance. "Well! Get cleaning, then we'll figure out what's so different." They all instantly let out a low groan, or growl in Akamaru's case, but pulled out the scrolls that sealed away their buckets and got to work. Kakashi chuckled as he watched them, leaning back against a clear wall and smiling under his mask. He was rather impressed that the group had noticed something before he did, even if he wasn't really paying attention, and he felt a bit of pride, which he quickly squished down. _'Best not overestimate them.'_ He thought in amusement, watching Kiba slip and go face-first into some paint, much to the amusement of his team.

After four or five minutes, the group made their way into the square room to clean up the paint in there, but Shikamaru paused behind his two teammates, staring at the metal door. After a quick scan, he bent his knees and stared at the center of the door before calling out to his team. "Hey, look at this." Sasuke and Kiba frowned as they put their buckets down in the room, walking over to Shikamaru and staring down at his finger, which was pointing at four large lines cut into the metal door.

Kakashi, who had definitely not fallen asleep against the wall, leaned down a bit behind the group, humming with his hands in his pockets. "Claw marks?" He questioned, mostly to himself, but got a slight shake of the head from Shikamaru.

"Possibly, but the angle isn't right. The lengths are different for each one, and there's a slight mark here..." He pointed at the edge of the door itself, right above the metal that kept it closed when it was shut. A small mark was there as well, looking like something had chipped off the metal. Pulling out a market from his pouch, Shikamaru drew a line from the mark to the other four marks, making a line right above the top mark in the center of the door. "It lines up here... Which means whatever did this had _five_ claws, not four, but each in different sizes. None being long enough to go through the door entirely, either."

"Could have been an Inuzuka." Kiba offered, reaching past Shikamaru's head and putting his hand side ways on the door, drawing his hand slowly across the mark with his wrist out towards the wall. "We can extend our claws to do some serious damage, but..." He sniffed slightly, pulling his hand away. "I don't smell anything like a dog."

"You definitely smell like a dog." Sasuke quickly interjected, getting a glare and growl from the Inuzuka.

"You know that's not what I meant! I meant around here!"

"You're around here."

"... Sasuke I'm going to punch you." Kiba raised his fist, growling, but his threat only got a small smirk from the Uchiha.

"Hn."

"Maa, don't fight now." Kakashi pleaded, waving holding his hands up a bit. "Why don't you three finish cleaning up then connect the dots on all these clues to see what happened, ne?" The three sighed but nodded, understanding the underlining order that the mission came before mystery. Inwardly, though, Kakashi didn't really want them to find out whatever happened here and was hoping they might clean up whatever evidence there was.

He also briefly questioned why the hell the Hokage had given him this mission to begin with. Either the Hokage wasn't actually aware of what went on in here, or he was sending a message. _'A message of what, though, is beyond me. Something towards me, or these kids? He is the type to subtly remind everyone what world we're in.'_ The Copy-Nin thought to himself, his one eye closing. _'But I doubt he sent us here for that... Not without telling me. He must've sent some people to clean this up enough for us to not notice, but they didn't. I'll have to talk to him about that...'_ He opened his eye, glancing towards his Genin as they walked past the metal door and into the room.

But while they were busy cleaning, he slowly moved back to the burn mark he had saw on the floor and let out a thoughtful _hm_ , kneeling down and running his fingers across it slowly. _'A fight, for sure, but this marking...'_ There weren't many Jutsu that could leave such a strong burn mark, at least not in such a small area. It looked like the perfect size for... _'A body. This is definitely where a body was, which means a Hunter Nin had killed whoever it was... **Katon: Shokyo-en**_ (Fire Style: Erasing Flame) _is the only Jutsu that could have done something like this.'_ The silver-haired Nin hummed, raising to his feet and rubbing his fingers together a bit. _'I definitely need to tell the Hokage about this. There's no way any cleaners he sent overlooked this.'_

 _ **Shokyo-en**_ wasn't really a Jutsu just anyone learned. It was made with the one purpose to erase bodies or items from existence, which required a very large amount of chakra to and mastery over said chakra in order to generate enough heat to melt things away in an instant. Because of the requirement, and usually the build up of chakra needed to release it, it wasn't something most people found a use for in combat.

But Hunter Nin were different.

Hunter Nin existed to erase the flaws of a village, usually in the shape of a Missing-Nin who held secrets that could damage the village if obtained by another faction. Because of this, they were trained in the way to assassinate and erase everything that they were ordered to. Their training resulted in a very powerful blade, one that could hold chakra for as long as they were needed to in order to release their flames whenever they had the chance. Still not something they could do in combat, not without having to build it up again, so most of them trained in physical combat in order to fill in the gap of their lack of Jutsu. If one ever launched their flames, it was typically only when they were certain they could hit their target.

Kakashi narrowed his eye and stroked his chin lightly while he thought. _'If a Hunter Nin was here, and got whatever target they were looking for, that could mean another village has Missing-Nin inside Konoha. That, or...'_

Kakashi's thoughts were interrupted as Shikamaru stepped up beside him, causing the Jounin to look over at him as Shikamaru held a piece of cloth to him. "We finished cleaning, mostly, but found this. Figured you might know what it means." Kakashi arched his eyebrow slightly, taking the cloth from Shikamaru and examining it, pulling his finger up on his other hand to make a flame so he could see the black cloth more clearly. It didn't really have much to it, but...

 _'Wait...'_ Kakashi frowned, his one exposed eye narrowing again as he pulled the cloth closer to it. There was a slightly lighter mark on the cloth, one he couldn't quite make out, and part of the cloth was darker as if something wet had dried on it. He sniffed once, his enhanced senses briefly recoiling at the scent of paint, but there was the underline of a very familiar scent... and the taste of copper.

 _'Blood.'_ Kakashi turned his head towards Shikamaru, his voice coming out more stern than he meant for it to be. "Where did you get this?" Shikamaru blinked at the tone, but dismissed it quickly.

"In the corner of the room to the right when you enter it... There's also marks on the ground you should see." Kakashi nodded his head, following the lazy Nin to the room where Kiba and Sasuke were. Most of the room was already cleaned, with just a bit of paint remaining on the ceiling and walls which the boys were scrubbing at, though they paused to glance back at him when he entered. Shikamaru sighed and shrugged his shoulders at them while Kakashi walked in from behind. The serious look in his eye seemed to surprise the other two, but the Jounin ignored them.

Pocketing the cloth for later, Kakashi knelled down in the middle of the room, staring at the multiple burn marks across the floor where the team had cleaned. Unlike the previous mark he examined, it wasn't large enough to be a grown adult's body and there were much smaller marks along the floor as well, but in seemingly random places.

 _'Must have just missed the cloth the boys found. Which means the small areas were probably pieces of whatever the cloth was covering... or just the cloth itself.'_ Humming thoughtfully to himself, Kakashi looked around the room for anything else that stuck out. _'A slight chip on the back wall. A thrown kunai being dodged, perhaps? Could be old, but there's some stone on the ground...'_ Looking around a bit more, Kakashi sighed as he stood up, looking up towards the ceiling. _'Doesn't seem like there's...'_

The sight of the ceiling gave him pause, noticing the way the center seemed to be darker than the rest. Holding his hand up, he let an orb of flame appear above it, hovering and flickering as the room was lit up even more. His students followed his gaze after noticing the increase in light, their eyes widening as they saw what had been stuck to the ceiling clearly.

"That's not paint." Shikamaru pointed out, muttering "Troublesome" under his breath. Kiba and Akamaru both scrunched their noses up, disgust clear on their faces while Sasuke pointedly looked away, his hands clenching into fists. Kakashi was the only one to not really react, merely staring with his eye half open.

Above them was a large dark red spot, covering most of the ceiling and mixing a bit with some of the paint that had been tossed up as well. The large circle had one more noticeable feature, which none of the paint had, of having objects sticking out of it. The objects in question being small pieces of bone sticking out of the ceiling, having some how received enough force to send them right into the stone itself, keeping them in place along with a bit of red tinted flesh that was being held up in the air by the bits of bone sticking out of the ceiling.

Kakashi and Shikamaru both were having similar thoughts about the size of the bones and the flesh itself, noting that the bones were too small to belong to a human adult, but the flesh was definitely that of a human. Which could only mean...

 _'A child died here.'_ They both thought at the same time, with the Nara having an uncomfortable expression on his face while Kakashi merely let his flame die out, rubbing the back of his head slowly.

"Maa... Well, let's call it a day here, boys."

"What!?" Kiba shouted out, pointing at the Jounin with an annoyed expression. "Are we seriously just going to leave _that_ there!?" Akamaru let out a yip of agreement, while Kakashi merely closed his eyes, sighing slightly. Sasuke looked slightly annoyed as well, but Shikamaru was rubbing the back of his head slowly with his tired expression seeming even more tired than before.

"Kakashi-Sensei is right. This is out of our job details." Kiba growled at the boy's words, turning his glare onto him.

"Details!? That's blood! We've got to..."

"Got to what?" Shikamaru interrupted, glaring a bit himself, which surprised Kiba since he had never seen the boy openly angry before. "Sniff out the scent? Whatever made that stain is _dead_ , Kiba. Sniffing it out won't do anything, and whatever can do _that_ much damage isn't something we can handle anyways." He sighed, shaking his head. "Best we can do is tell the Hokage and let him send out the specialists for this stuff."

The Inuzuka scowled and turned away, tossing his sponge into the bucket and starting to re-seal it into his scroll. Sasuke, after staring at Shikamaru for a long moment, slowly turned and did the same. Seeing neither of them were going to continue arguing, Shikamaru made his way to his own bucket. But even though his words had implied it was best to drop it, his mind was whirling with thoughts and ideas on who or _what_ could have done such a thing.

A beast? A man? Some sort of mix, like an Inuzuka? Shikamaru didn't know. What he _did_ know, however, was the marking on the cloth he gave Kakashi was the same seal used for making explosive notes. One of those alone had enough force to blow up the metal door they had walked past... If a whole blanket had them on it, then...

 _'It'd be just enough force to make bone pierce stone... depending on the angle.'_ The Nara thought in annoyance, "pushing" the bucket into the sealing scroll. _'Whatever did this... It definitely had the help of a human. The question is who... and was whoever make all this paint appear part of that? Or had the battle here taken place after the paint was set up?'_ Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head as he began to walk back towards the awaiting Kakashi, who was standing beside the door now. _'There's just not enough information.'_

 _'But that doesn't mean I'll give up... Puzzles were made to be solved.'_

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"One... Two..."

"The best way to go about this would be to not finish your countdown, because this would allow me to be in an environment where I could clearly state that this is a ..."

"Three!" At the shout of three, a bucket was sent flying high into the air, sending water splashing hard towards the wall in front of it. A grinning pink-haired girl spun on her heel as this happened, leaving the large sling-shot, which was really just a large piece of rubber wrapped around the trunks of two trees, behind herself. "Now, Chouji!" She cried out with her hands around her mouth, leaning forward to send her voice further.

"On it!" Came the quick cry as a large boulder rolled out of the tree line, going up a natural stone ramp beside the girl's sling shot. With his speed, the human boulder shot high into the air, going below the torrent of water as it fell against the wall. As the water began to hit against the boulder, which was getting very close to the large blob of paint on the wall, it cried out "Shino!"

"... a bad idea." The boy addressed muttered, sighing as the bugs that were hidden along the wall or merely floating around wrapped around the human boulder and began to hold it up and spin it rapidly in place. While it was spinning, the bugs moved the 'boulder' slightly and angled it so the water would shoot off the top and go straight towards the wall, with the spinning scattering the water everywhere across it, but also around the area itself. "Why is it a bad idea?" The boy questioned to himself, pushing his glasses up as he watched the spray of water. "Because it would have been much easier to just pour water down the side of the wall."

"That's not _nearly_ as fun, though." The girl beside him replied, grinning with her hands on her hips. "Besides, Asuma-Sensei said to be creative. What's more creative than this?"

"A number of things. Because many creative things exist."

"Blah, blah... You've too stiff, Shino-Kun."

Shino sighed slightly, pushing his glasses up again with a slight frown, though it was hard to see under the collar of his coat. "And you have become too wild, Sakura-San. Because you have tried to imitate your friends to a degree." Sakura smiled at that, shrugging her shoulders slightly with her green eyes twinkling with amusement.

In part, he wasn't incorrect. Sakura's outfit had gone from her basic red dress and black shorts to a pair of long black pants with various pockets, matching the color of her sandals as well. Her top was a black shirt with mesh just above her growing chest, but the shirt was tucked slightly into the top of her pants. She was also wearing a dark red jacket that had a circle around the spot that would go on her stomach if it was zipped up, resulting in half the circle resting on either hip since it was currently open. A pair of red fingerless gloves with a metal plate on the back were covering her hands, with a small cherry blossom printed on the metal plate by her mother. An outfit similar to what they had bought for Naruto, right before they were assigned teams, the only major difference being the jacket and Sakura's headband around her neck, rather than on her arm like Naruto had hers. Also, her hair was still very long, reaching down to her hips, but was now in a single ponytail, much like Naruto.

The originally flat-chested girl had also grown enough to have a noticeable reaction from others if she leaned over, exposing the fish-net covered area to them, and she had grown in height as well, being just an inch or so shorter than Shino and the same height _above_ Chouji. This was mostly do to the duo's efforts to keep Sakura eating right, thanks to Naruto's request before, which had irritated the girl at first.

Whenever Sakura would go out to eat, they'd be there. If Sakura just went out shopping, they'd be there. If she was making a bento box for everyone, they'd make sure _her_ box was filled with all the right foods before opening their own. It had definitely been... _interesting_ to have two _boys_ keeping an eye on her, but overall she found their company to be enjoyable after the first few times that they'd simply appear.

Chouji was a sweet heart and was kind to everyone they went past, only having a temper when it came to people calling him fat or people wasting food right in front of him. The latter part usually led to Shino and Sakura giving him their leftovers, though Shino typically let his bugs eat away at whatever he had left. It was only the very hot pieces of food that Shino always gave away, saying something about spicy things making his bugs irritable.

Shino was a bit of an oddball, in Sakura's opinion, constantly explaining things he asked himself and saying "Because" a lot. His bugs had scared her at first, but seeing one alone and up close without it crawling on her skin had been a nice experience. They weren't really that creepy to the girl when she could see one or two just flying around on their own. A swarm, however, was creepy to her, but she kept those feelings to herself. The girl knew she'd get over it eventually.

As a group, the three often enjoyed being quiet and just enjoying the presence of the rest of the team. Sakura would read, Chouji would snack and stare up at the clouds, and Shino would speak quietly to his bugs. But when they got into something, such as training or on the event they went to... Like when they actually went to karaoke together with Asuma, which led to each of them finding out if they had any singling talents.

Sakura _could_ sing, but tried too hard and couldn't hit the high notes well. Shino didn't really try to match the tone, only saying the words in a flat mono-tone. Chouji could sing surprisingly well, but ran out of breath quickly, and Asuma... Well, he coughed too much.

But as for Shino's comment on Sakura's "imitations", the girl had been pressured by Asuma to take her training more seriously, after he himself got a stern talking to from his father who said that even _Kakashi_ had been teaching his kids seriously. Getting scolded by his father, and especially the Kage, had caused Asuma to take the three more seriously than before, but he noticed that Sakura wasn't really keeping up. She would either not put in as much effort, or would simply fall behind if they starting doing laps around their training field.

So Sakura started to ask herself: "What would _Sasuke_ do?" But all that came to was _'Sasuke_ _ **would**_ _do it'_ rather than anything useful. So the girl kept going down the list of people she knew, trying to find inspiration for her desire to move forward. What would Hinata do? Chouji? Shino? Ino? _Ami_?

… What would _Naruto_ do?

Sakura had ran the idea past Asuma after coming to the realization she had no idea what any of her friends would do, especially the unpredictable Naruto. But the man had simply stared at her, confusion etched on his face, before he asked _"What would Haruno Sakura do?_ "

When she had no response for that, he placed his hand on her head, smiling encouragingly and, for once, holding his cigarette to the side. _"You already know what you want to do. You want to walk beside the people ahead of you. It's going to take a lot of work, but I know you can do it. It's just one foot in front of the other."_ Those were words she took to heart, but the path she took differed from what he had probably intended.

Sakura decided to take a bit of everyone she knew and adapt them to herself, trying to find out what she could really do... and on that path, she found that reading designs, setting things up, and creating things had been surprisingly fun to do. The ideas just seemed to pop into her mind, going along with whatever information she had previously read on the subject. The sling-shot they used, for instance, was one of her creations... although it was really just a long piece of rubber that she could wrap around objects, then snap it together with metal clamps to keep it secure. It was one of the first things she made, but there were so many more tools she wanted to create.

Whenever she was about to give up on one, she'd remind herself that _Naruto_ would never give up. Along with that came various other quirks to her growing personality, all of which she took from other people. _Hinata_ would always encourage her to go forward. _Sasuke_ would do "it." _Ino_ would tackle any challenge head on. _Shino_ would always question everything, but find the explanation. _Chouji_ would never be cruel to his allies to reach his goal. _Shikamaru_ would think things through. _Ami_ wouldn't be afraid of anything, even the unknown. And the rest...

Well, she didn't really know the rest that well.

But this led to Shino's "complaint" that she was imitating her friends, mostly referring to the wide Naruto-like grin she was wearing on her face as she turned towards him, her tongue sticking out slightly. "Ne, I'm not imitating _you_ that much, Shino-Kun, and you're definitely my friend." Her smile made the boy's face flush slightly as he turned his head away, looking back towards the still spinning form of Chouji. Seeing that the water was mostly used, Shino slowed his bugs down and lowered the boy, who felt himself stopping and released the Jutsu that was increasing his size.

The brown haired boy groaned on the cloud of bugs, which spread apart to allow him to get to his feet. The boy promptly fell onto his rear, rubbing his soaked head. "Ohh... I'm not used to spinning _that_ much... Ugh..." The other two hurried over to him as he groaned, falling onto his back and holding his stomach. "Ugh, I need something to eat.." He grumbled softly, earning a soft chuckle from Sakura who stared down at him, shaking her head, watching water drip off his shoulders and hair.

"People usually _don't_ want to eat after getting that dizzy, Chouji-Kun." She lightly teased, holding her hand out towards the boy. Shino did the same, shaking his head as the two pulled their teammate up to his feet.

"Sakura is right. Why? Because most people feel nauseous of some type when receiving a lot of motion. Because..."

"Yes, yes, we knooow Shino-Kun." Sakura interrupted, letting go of Chouji's hand. Her interruption only caused Shino to push his glasses up while Chouji chuckled softly, patting his stomach slightly to settle the rumbling that wanted to come out. Silently, Sakura handed him a small scroll used to seal away Bento boxes to keep them fresh, humming to herself as she stared up at the wall. "Well, it looks like most of our work is done." She claimed as Chouji took the scroll, muttering 'Thanks' and turning to look at the wall himself.

"Indeed. Because it is weak to water... But there's still quite a mess." Shino pointed out, staring at the large remains of the paint. Because of the water spraying everywhere, the original picture was long gone, leaving the only major part of it on the bottom that looked like a purple crescent moon, though with the points sticking up towards the sky instead of to the side like it typically did. There was also small bits of the dark purple paint scattered across the wall above those points, creating small star-like images above it from how they dripped down the wall.

Sakura tilted her head slightly, crossing her arms under her chest as she stared at the image. "It's a shame we have to get rid of it... This version looks ind of cool." She chuckled slightly, turning her head towards Shino. "Could paint the rest of the wall to have different moon phases, or something. That'd look neat." Shino shook his head slightly, pushing his glasses up.

"That would go against the name of the village. Because this is Konoha: The Village Hidden in the Leafs, not Hidden in the Moon." Sakura nodded slightly, scrunching her nose up slightly.

"Yeah, I guess that's true... A bunch of trees would suit it better, but..." She paused, her eyes lighting up in excitement as she hastily pulled out a small notepad and pencil, starting to write on it. "That's a great idea, though! Moon phases for a tool... Let's see, Waxing Crescent could be..." Shino turned away from Sakura as she began to mumble to herself, writing on her pad quickly. He had already learned in the time spent together that when she got like that, it was best to wait until she was finished to try and talk to her.

Turning to Chouji, the Aburame pushed his glasses up again, watching the boy eat from the box Sakura had prepared for him specifically. The box was filled with various types of grilled meat along with a few vegetables on the side and part of the box had some rice put into it as a side dish. A bottle of water was also sitting beside him, right beside the scroll that had the rest of their food sealed within.

The boy sighed, knowing no work would be done until both of his teammates were back on track, so he sat down and pulled the scroll away from Chouji. Opening it, he pressed his thumb on the spiral-shaped seal that had his name written below it and caught the box it released before it hit the ground. Slowly, he opened it and smiled a bit to himself at the sight of various types of plants prepared for him and his bugs. Salad was his favorite, after all.

Sakura joined him after a minute or two, though she did not take out her own bento box and instead kept writing down on her notepad. The three sat there in comfortable silence, excluding the sound of Sakura's pencil, enjoying each others company...

They'd get around to cleaning the rest of the wall eventually.

* * *

 _ **Chapter... End!**_

 _ **No extra this time, sorry! Hanabi's story continues in the next chapter... Maybe. Depends on what I'm feeling. But anyways...**_

 _ **The next chapter might take a bit longer to come out. I'm trying to at least put a chapter out each month, but with all the stuff I've been doing, it's just hard to sit down and think! Lately, I've got back into actually reading Naruto stories, so that definitely helped! Just hard to find stories that really fit my taste, y'know? Ones that I haven't read already, at least.**_

 _ **But anyways...**_

 _ **Here's some fun facts and answers to questions you have:**_

 _ **Team 7 running into the mess: Yes, ANBU had already scouted the place out. Yes, the Hokage was aware there was a mess there, though not quite the extent of it. Yes, he was informed there was nothing to be worried about. Don't get upset about it, it'll come into light later. Kakashi is upset too, y'know...**_

 _ **But onto the teams!**_

 _ **Ami, Fuki, and Kasumi are actually all based on the real canon characters that bullied Sakura in a flashback. Unlike Canon Naruto where they simply disappeared after the academy, they're going to have some major points in the story later! That being said...**_

 _ **I took some liberties with their appearances, especially Kasumi. Her last name, Miou, is also a subtle nod to another character often affiliated (but not apart of) with Ranma ½, but Kasumi is her actual canon name. Don't worry, though, that last name doesn't really come into play or anything. It's just a gag.**_

 _ **I personally love their characters and I've already got some extras planned with them in it, especially Kasumi. I don't know what it is about her, but after writing her scenes and imagining her showing surprise by just slightly opening her mouth... It amused me greatly, and now she's my favorite.**_

 _ **The other characters haven't changed too much, but I've put in some subtle nods towards them getting closer and different overall. The only one that really changed would be Sakura, who has changed from her canon character almost completely. This change came rather suddenly when I was designing a weapon that may or may not show up later in the story, then I had the thought "Hm, who would think about this in that universe? Probably Sakura, she's book smart." and there it was.**_

 _ **A designer that uses her brain more than anything. I felt like it fit her character growing more in line with being a Ninja, rather than just a really close fangirl.**_

 _ **Oh, and I've also decided to make a small chart, mostly for myself, on the character's preferences when it comes to relationships. This is mostly coming from an earlier review someone had asking if all the characters were into the same gender...**_

… _**and the answer is no. A majority are straight and I've been trying to keep them close to their canon character's preferences. Of course, the ones that don't have any life to them are a bit harder to think about, so I'm letting their personalities really develop before I decide.**_

 _ **That being said: Hinata is Naruto-sexual, and that's all you need to know.**_

 _ **Moving on...**_

 _ **I hope to have the next chapter written up soon, but with this chapter coming out before I really reached another milestone... It might not come out soon enough and I apologize for that. I do really want to finish this story, but I always write in bursts or get distracted by other stuff.**_

 _ **Like writing a different story, or working on my vids. Y'know, dumb things, but I gotta get through 'em.**_

 _ **Anyways! That's all I've got to say for now. Hope you enjoyed and please, tell me what you think of the characters! This chapter is one I was really looking forward to getting some comments on, mostly for the new characters.**_

 _ **Buckle up, though, because the first major arc is just a couple chapters away from beginning.**_

 _ **Got it alllll planned out. Look forward to it!**_


	23. Out of Mind Out of Sight?

_**Hey there everyone! Decided to toss up another chapter for this story! A little small compared to the usual, but with an Extra to make up for it... Hopefully, at least!**_

 _ **Speaking of hope, I've mostly been working on the Undertale story I've got on my account and tossed a few chapters up on that. Feel free to check it out if that interests you! As with most of my stories, it's got some action in it.**_

 _ **Anywho, we're about to reach the end of the 'Training' day. Weird how it took, what, four chapters? Five? Something like that. But hopefully everyone enjoyed it so far! This also might clear up a few 'issues' people were having with Anko vs Ino, but we'll see. More at the bottom!**_

"Talking is like this."

 _'Thinking is like this.'_

" _Flash backs will be like this. You get the drift."_

" **Demonic Talking is like this. Other things may qualify."**

 _ **'Demonic Thinking will be like this'**_

"Techniques like the _**Henge**_ Jutsu will be said like that."

Jutsu may be given a name like this: _**Henge**_! (Transformation) if it is the first time it appears, has a complicated name, or is unique. Techniques like the _**Kage Bunshin**_ will not be given that. If you're reading this story, you should know what _**Kage Bunshin**_ is.

If you want a more in depth 'Jutsu Library' at some point, then tell me through reviews. If enough people say 'Yeah!' then I'll start adding them in... But I will never repeat a Jutsu.

* * *

 _ **Back in the forest with Team 8...**_

Kurenai wasn't really a "blunt" type of person. She tried to keep herself cool and collected at all times, because acting rashly often led to mistakes during a mission. Not to mention it could lead to misunderstandings in a conversation if she allowed her emotions to speak for her. Her Genjutsu relied heavily on her emotions as well, because a lapse in concentration could lead to her Jutsu being canceled very easily.

But for right now, she tossed that training aside as she stared at the scene before her, allowing her anger and surprise to fill her voice as she shouted. "What the HELL is your problem!?" while her eyes were wide with panic as she rushed over, her hands glowing a green chakra for healing, which were roughly pushed away by the target of her fury... Which was a certain purple haired Jounin sitting cross legged in front of her, resting her back against a tree.

"It's fine, Nai. She'll recover, I already healed her quite a bit." The woman dismissed, waving her hand slightly, earning a harsh glare from her partner.

"She's fine!? Anko, she's got a kunai in her..!"

"She's _fine_ , it barely pierced the skin."

"That's _not_ the issue here!" The woman snapped out, groaning as she ran her hand over her face and taking slow, deep breaths to clear her mind. After a few moments, she let out a heavy sigh, her expression neutral, but her red eyes shining with anger still. "What happened?"

Anko shrugged her shoulders slightly, looking to the side. "I... She got a good hit in. I reacted." Kurenai's eye twitched, along with her fingers, causing Anko to instinctively put her hands up in a defensive manner. "Whoa, whoa, Nainai, it's..."

"Do _not_ call me that right now." The woman snapped out, causing Anko to flinch slightly and slowly nod.

"Okay, uh, so it's not that big of a deal. Okay? It's not a kunai holding her up or anything so..." Both women glanced over to the unconscious form of Ino Yamanaka, firmly held in place by wire wrapped around her body as she rested limply against the trunk of the same tree Anko was resting against. The girl's face was dripping with blood from a wound on her head and her left shoulder had a kunai sticking out of it, also sending blood dripping down slowly from her arm. The girl had a rather goofy dizzy expression on her face, most likely from the hit on her head, but the most noticeable wound was on her hands, which looked to be slightly burnt, making her have a black tint on her palms.

Kurenai growled slowly at the sight, then sighed as she realized it could have been _much_ worse... _'She could be dead, after all.'_ The woman tried to reason with herself, turning her gaze back towards Anko with an irritated expression still playing on her face. "So why is the kunai still in her?"

Anko blinked at the question, blushing a bit and scratching at her red cheek slowly. "Uh, I kind of... ran out of chakra. Between finishing her off..." Kurenai twitched slightly and Anko tried to not notice, but couldn't keep the uncomfortable look off her face. "And, uh, summoning Kimura... and all then healing most of her wounds... I didn't take it out since it might send blood everywhere again, so..."

"I thought it barely pierced the skin?" Kurenai tapped her foot slightly and Anko gulped in response, grinning nervously.

"I, uh, was just being careful?" The hesitant answer made the woman sigh again, her hands glowing green as she placed them on Ino's wounded shoulder and head. She pulled the kunai out as she healed the wound, tossing the kunai aside and causing only a small bit of blood to squirt out, though she was glad to feel that the wound on Ino's head had been completely closed and healed. As annoyed as she was with Anko, she could still admit, at least privately, that the woman was sensible enough to heal the important wounds first and talented enough to heal them nicely.

The Genjutsu Mistress sighed as she ran her hands along Ino's bound body, feeling for any other wounds, while addressing Anko. "So what caused this? It's not like you to lose control." She looked over at her partner, her eyebrows arching at the embarrassed look on Anko's face, her legs squirming back and forth slightly. The strange attitude made Kurenai briefly forget her anger and instead felt a bit of concern for her friend... But also felt a strong urge to tease the woman, for the various instances where Anko had done the same.

So with a teasing smirk, Kurenai arched her eyebrows further at the woman. "What happened, Anko? Did she get the jump on you? Slither into your heart?" When Anko's face actually lit up, it took all of Kurenai's self control to not burst into a fit of giggles at the sight. It wasn't like the woman to get so embarrassed and to do something that made her blush _that_ hard...

She'd definitely have to give Ino a reward. Maybe a special Jutsu or something...

Anko, aware she was blushing but unaware of Kurenai's thoughts, just waved her hand dismissively while looking away from the black haired woman. "Look, it doesn't matter. But, uh, we need to start swapping Taijutsu partners more." Kurenai blinked at that, sitting down in the grass beside Ino once her healing was done. She still didn't bother cleaning up the blood on the girl's body, though.

"What do you mean?" Was she not satisfied with usually fighting Naruto? Had something Ino done really been _that_ great?

Anko sighed in response, rubbing her head slightly. "I kept thinking about what Naru-Chan would do when I was fighting Violet. I made mistakes and got too … comfortable." She sighed, her face no longer red, yet still holding an embarrassed expression as she turned it towards Kurenai. "I didn't think I'd get that rusty, you know?"

The red-eyed Jounin frowned, a confused expression coming to her face. "But you fight them all the time during training." Anko shook her head in response, leaning over and picking up the kunai Kurenai had discarded onto the ground, waving it around slightly.

"I only toss things at Nata and Violet, and then when we fight as teams Nata is always the one on the front line and usually goes after you. I don't fight her much. Violet is always in the back." She shrugged, sliding the kunai into her pouch. "Girl isn't bad, though. She's not as wild or aggressive as Naru-Chan and seems to plan things out more... and..." She paused, a small proud smile coming to her face that Kurenai arched her eyebrow at. "She actually _got me_ Kurenai. Rustiness aside... she actually tricked me... and we're the reasons she got that far." She chuckled lowly, an action mirrored by Kurenai who was also sharing her own proud smile as she looked up at the unconscious Yamanaka.

Kurenai shared Anko's proud thoughts, knowing that the Ino that came fresh out of the academy would have no chance against even getting close to either of them... The same could be said for the other girls, except possibly Naruto with how unpredictable she had been. The girl _did_ impress Anko right away during their first little spar, though Anko had been holding back quite a bit during that time. Not to say she had not held back against Ino, which Kurenai was sure she did even with all her wounds. The platinum blonde would be dead if she didn't...

Shaking her head, the Genjutsu Mistress stood up, stretching for a moment with her arms going above her head. She ignored the exaggerated look Anko sent at her chest, which was having her eyes bulging out and a bit of drool coming out of her mouth, and simply stared at the woman with a neutral expression. "We should get going. I sent Hinata back to the training field, so let's go retrieve Naruto and head back for a break." Anko nodded her consent, grinning a bit while she cut Ino free, catching the girl as she fell.

Putting Ino onto her back, Anko straightened up a bit and held the girl up by the back of her legs, smirking a bit at Kurenai. "How did it go with Nata? And Naru-Chan isn't all smashed up is she? Kimura is prettttty strong." Kurenai rolled her eyes, smiling a bit. Anko's proud grin was almost too cute to put down so easily...

Almost

"Hinata did well. She still has a lot to work on. We need to teach them some _**Katon**_ Jutsu, though. Not having one is a bit of a defect of the team." She hummed, purposely putting aside the rest of Anko's question for now, speaking up again once the two began to walk through the woods with Kurenai leading. "Also, if you'd like, we could start sparing with each other as well. To keep the rust off both of us... It has been some time since I fought seriously." Anko chuckled a bit, nodding her head.

"Sure, but we should get into sparing with the others too... Uh, not saying you're not enough or anything." The last part was hastily added and the woman shuffled a bit on her feet, straightening Ino up on her back. The girl in question groaned and kicked a bit, earning a confused glance from Kurenai while Anko already seemed used to the movement and continued to talk. "It's just... You know, everyone is different and..."

The red-eyed Jounin held her hand up, silencing the slightly sputtering Anko with a smile. "I understand, Anko. I wasn't thinking you were insulting my skills, or anything." She placed a comforting hand on Anko's shoulder, smiling kindly. "You're my friend."

The words brought a blush on the woman's face for the second time that day, though this one was brought with a large grin. A grin that instantly turned teasing just a moment later. "I was just making sure you knew you're the only girl for me, Nainai."

"Don't call me that." Kurenai instantly responded, rolling her eyes and sighing as she brushed her hair over her shoulder. Suddenly, she scowled slightly as a thought came to her head. "Don't invite Asuma, either. I'm not sparing with him." The Snake Mistress just shrugged at that, making Ino bounce a bit, with a slight smile.

"Still fighting?" The question had a curious tone, since Anko had only really heard bits and pieces of the rumor between Asuma and Kurenai. They had, according to her sources, dated from time to time and Kurenai had privately told Anko that she liked him. Asuma had also said something of that nature when Anko... "questioned" him, But...

"The bastard cheated on me." Came the angry answer, the woman's red eyes glowing in irritation. "I want nothing more to do with him." Anko nodded slightly, but privately she admitted that she had no idea if Kurenai's claim was the truth or not. All she had to go on with that was Kurenai's word that she _definitely_ saw him flirting, and possibly kissing, another woman and the slight nervous attitude Asuma had around her. Asuma, to her knowledge, had not defended himself at all or pursued the matter once Kurenai started to ignore him, but...

Well, Anko _would_ just go punch the guy a few times to get him to fess up, but Kurenai made her promise not to get involved with it. It was something she wanted to handle herself...

 _'By completely ignoring his existence, I guess.'_ The Snake Mistress thought in amusement, glancing over at her annoyed looking friend. Deciding to change the subject for her, the woman went back to the original topic. "So anyways, what happened to Naru-Chan? I hope my Kimura wasn't too rough with her." The way her friend's anger instantly defused and switched to an amused smile set Anko on edge and her eyes narrowed slightly. "What? What's with that look?"

Kurenai chuckled slowly, shaking her head. "I'm leading you to them now. It's best you see for yourself what happened... But a better question is..." She pointed at the still unconscious Yamanaka, shifting the subject once more. "Why did you have her tied up in the first place? Was that part of your attack, or..?"

"Oh, that?" Anko shrugged, bouncing Ino a bit again as the group reached long path filled with broken branches which they carefully stepped over while they traveled. "She's a kicker in her sleep, I guess. I'm not sure why, but she was struggling and moving around a lot while I was trying to heal her." As if on queue, Ino's leg kicked against the back of Anko's own leg, causing the woman to stumble briefly with a grunt. "Ugh, see what I mean? That wasn't a light tap, either."

Kurenai shook her head slightly with an amused smile. "It's your fault she's like that, so you have to bare with it." Anko clicked her tongue in annoyance, looking back at the peaceful expression Ino now wore on her blood covered face.

"Wonder what the hell she's dreaming about..."

* * *

 _ **Inside the mind of a Yamanaka...**_

It was a little known fact that the Yamanaka were a very terrifying and powerful clan, possibly one of the strongest in the world if you really thought about their ability. They held power over the one thing all people had (even if some didn't know how to use it)...

The brain. The control center for the entire human body.

It wasn't really known what caused the Yamanaka clan to have the ability to control the body of someone else, or their own so wildly for that matter. But no one really knew how bloodlines came to be in the first place. A mutation? Some demonic blessing? A mere twist of fate? No one really knew. But like all clans, the Yamanaka had honed their bloodline to a fine point, allowing them to do things other people could only dream of.

Emphasis on _dream_.

With their power, the Yamanaka had figured out a key power to train their bodies and mind inside their own dreams. They could fight their own imagination, or combine their minds with another Yamanaka to train in a mental space. Such training sessions could spend an entire day's worth of time training to their fullest, while only spending an hour at best in real time. Of course, this method of training came with a risk and reward.

While the body itself could not get stronger through the process, the muscles could "remember" the movements given. Chakra control could also be improved through the training and new techniques could be mastered, but the chakra amount could not be increased. Not by the training, at least, but using the chakra to sustain such a state usually increased a Yamanaka's chakra amount by a very small amount. Not enough to really matter, though.

Another key feature of the ability is to _redo_ training in their mental state they had already done, in order to recall what exactly they had learned. It offered none of the growing perks, however, since it was like recalling a memory. Some Yamanaka did this unconsciously, remembering old "dreams" as soon as their body went to sleep... And Ino was one of them.

When Ino had landed her "attack" on Anko, it had temporarily stunned the Jounin, giving the girl time to briefly taunt and twist the two in the air to land on a safe area... But that was, more or less, the last thing Ino remembered before her body exploded into pain. Her vision went dark, her body screamed in agony, and finally she slipped into a blissful unconscious state. In order to protect her further, her mind refreshed itself with an older dream...

A dream of her father, training her just a few days ago while their bodies slept.

The two "met" in a field of flowers, walking up to each other in matching light gray robes with a purple tint on the bottom half, past the red cloth tied around their waists to keep it closed. Ino's, however, had an open slit on the left and right, allowing her slender legs to slide out as she walked, a testament to how she saw herself. Inoichi, on the other hand, had his robe tied tightly and had everything except his head more or less hidden.

With a nod, the two simultaneously went to their knees just a few inches away from each other with a square pillow appearing below them right before they hit the ground. A wooden table soon appeared as well with a steaming kettle of tea and two cups appearing on top of it. Silently, Inoichi poured a cup of tea for his daughter, handing it to her and smiling as she nodded in thanks and took it from him. As he poured his own tea, Ino took a sip of her own, but lowered it soon after with an amused expression on her face.

"I don't know why you always pour tea. It's not like we get refreshed by it." She quipped with a slight grin as Inoichi sipped his own tea, smiling against his cup.

Lowering it did not remove his smile, nor did his soft chuckle. "Perhaps, but we can remember the taste and enjoy it, allowing our minds to relax before we get to business." Ino shook her head and shrugged, sipping again and questioning her father's mentali-tea.

"Mmm... We _could_ just meet up and do this, you know..." Her eyes twinkled slightly, a grin spreading across her face. "I prefer reali-tea."

The pun made Inoichi cough up his own tea, making him pound his own chest a bit before he let out a hearty laugh, giving Ino a wide smile that matched her grin. "I see you've caught onto Anko's humor. She always did have quite the funny bone." He chuckled, shaking his head slightly while Ino stuck her tongue out, not agreeing or denying his claim. "I'm glad she became your Sensei. I don't think I could have put my Princess in better hands." Ino stared in surprise at that, her head tilting slightly to the left while she placed her cup down onto the table.

"You know Anko-Sensei? I mean... I know she talked to you about the whole... moving out thing, but..." Inoichi nodded cutting his daughter off as he put his own cup down.

"Indeed. I met her many years ago, before you were even born. We hit it off quite well, even though she's a bit younger than me." He chuckled softly, smiling wistfully at the memories. "We didn't talk much, since she wasn't on my team, but we kept talking every now and then when we happened upon each other... Until..." He paused, his smile fading into a tight frown and the entire world shook slightly at the sudden shift in emotion.

Since the world was a creation of both their minds together, Ino felt the shift and glanced to the side with a frown as she saw several flowers wilt and...

 _'Was that a snake?'_ The girl thought to herself, watching a black tube-like shape slide between some of the wilting flowers. Her thoughts were not broadcast to her father, since their minds were only sharing things they either could not hide or did not wish to. Since her thought was only a fleeting curiosity, it didn't register in Inoichi's mind at all.

Despite this, he seemed to realize his daughter's confusion and distress, quickly adjusting his emotions accordingly. The flowers that had wilted disappeared and were quickly replaced with colorful counterparts instead as he let out a low chuckle. "Sorry, that isn't really my story to tell. Just know you can trust that woman, no matter how crazy she acts. She might rough you up some, but she does it because she cares." His words received a quick nod from Ino, who's grin fell into a small smile.

"I know she does. She's really loud, like Goldie, but I keep catching her staring at us with a lot of warmth in her eyes and..." A soft blush appeared on the girl's face. "She's really talented. I don't think any of us have really beat her or landed a good hit. If there's a female Jounin to look up to, she's definitely up there." She laughed a bit, scratching her cheek slightly with her left hand, while her right continued to hold her cup. "Kurenai-Sensei is like that too. I think they're really good teachers... I've learned a lot." Inoichi nodded his head in response, taking a sip and making a mental note to thank the two women for being such good teachers.

Outloud, he said... "That's good. I'm glad to hear your training has been going well." He hummed as a passing thought came to him. "How about your teammates? I hope they're not being mean to my Princess." His smile grew at the annoyed glance Ino shot him, but he pretended to not notice it with another sip of his tea.

Ino just shrugged slightly, her annoyed expression disappearing as she considered her father's question. She hummed and waved her hand to the right, creating a full-scaled Naruto in her usual outfit beside herself, grinning wide. Inoichi arched his eyebrow at the image, slightly confused at when Ino had learned to do that. He had been the one to start the "joining" of their minds, after all, and hadn't told her she could just create whatever she thought up yet...

 _'She's got an instinct for this sort of thing, I suppose.'_ He thought with a small proud smile.

Ino, unaware of the man's thoughts, started talking while gesturing towards her mental-Naruto. "Goldie is always loud and excited, like Anko-Sensei. But she's probably the nicest person I know. She's also really strong for some reason..." She shook her head, lowering her hand to the table. "Might come from how often she seems to pick fights... Like with Sasuke-Kun in the academy, and then Ami-baka, and then she even picked a fight with _both_ of our senseis!" Inoichi chuckled at the annoyed expression on his daughter's face, watching the Naruto's expression shift to her tongue sticking out.

He couldn't help but question what she told him, though. "She picked a fight with both of your teachers?" At her nod, he let out another hearty laugh. "It's a shame I haven't met her yet, then. She sounds like a funny girl." Ino laughed a bit at his words, nodding her head in agreement.

"Yeah, Goldie is great. I could ask her to come over to the house, but..." Inoichi shook his head, dismissing his daughter's offer.

"I'm afraid I won't be at the house for quite some time. That's why we're having your family training here in your mind, don't you remember? Perhaps once my work load gets smaller..." He gave her a regretful smile, which she just shrugged at with her eyes closing.

"I was going to say that we're pretty busy with training and stuff anyways. Our sensei are kind of slave drivers." Inoichi chuckled a bit at Ino's matter-of-fact tone, sipping his own tea once again while Ino began to pour herself another cup. "Anyways, though... Hinata is pretty nice and she's really fast when she's serious... But I think she's a little _too_ nice sometimes... She's also got it _bad_ for Goldie." She smirked in amusement, shaking her head slightly from the thoughts of the blushing Hyuuga.

"Got it bad?" He repeated with a questioning tone, not entirely sure what she meant, though he had a good idea.

"Mhm." Ino nodded her head, placing her cup onto the table while her grin widened. "I think Goldie and maybe Kurenai-Sensei are the only ones that don't see it. Hinata turns completely red whenever Goldie-Chan is nearby, or if she does something like hugging Hinata close then the girl faints on the spot." She laughed, placing her hand up to her mouth to hide it slightly... A laughing habit she got from her mother, who came from a "refined" family, though she tended to only do it at the table or in her father's presence. "It's kind of cute, most of the time. I just hope she doesn't do it during an important mission..."

Her father let out a soft laugh, a fond smile coming to his face. "That reminds me of when I met your mother, actually." Ino rolled her eyes, starting to already tune the man out as his expression changed to a wistful smile. "Ah, those were the days... When I first met your mother, she'd always get the cutest blush on her face whenever we spoke." He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "I wasn't any better, though."

Ino rolled her eyes a bit, letting her father reminisce always making her feel a bit bored. Mostly because there weren't many stories she hadn't already heard. But she knew there was no way to stop him once he started, so she allowed him to keep going while carefully tuning him out, focusing on her own memories instead. Memories of spending time with her parents, specifically, since it was the first thing that came to mind.

Learning to cook with her mother, learning how to take care of plants with her father, running the store after getting done with the Academy... But all of those had been years ago; she had not even taken care of the store for at least a year now, due to her fathering telling her to focus on graduating since it was her final year. After that she got so caught up in training that the last time she actually had a conversation with her father up close was when Anko took her home and even that was very brief. All of the times before that, she either left before he woke or he simply didn't come home during the night like he usually did.

 _'Been awhile since I've actually talked to either of my parents face to face, huh?'_ She hummed quietly to herself, glancing up at her father, who was still talking about how he had first met her mother. _'Even this is just an image of him... and I haven't even seen Mom for two years now.'_ She sighed to herself, thinking of the brown haired woman that was her mother. That woman was also a Ninja, just like her father, but apparently left the village quite often according to Inoichi. Those two apparently saw each other quite often, since Inoichi was who she reported to, but the woman tended to avoid the house for the most part.

 _'I wonder if she even stayed around the house when she was having me.'_ Ino shook her head slightly, an amused smile coming to her face. _'Probably not. I bet she went to the park a lot to mess with the flowers.'_ According to her father, it was the flower business the Yamanaka were into that originally brought the two close. They both loved flowers quite a bit.

The girl shook her head a bit, realizing her father had finally stopped going on about how he first met his wife. He was also gazing expectantly at her and got a slight pout, which was just a slight furrowing of his brow, when she yawned slightly. "Mmn, sorry Daddy. I've already heard that story before, you know?" She sent him a warm smile, making him sigh softly with his own smile coming to his face.

"Oh, I know. But..." He shook his head. "Anyways, I think we have probably wasted enough time, no?" He slowly stood up, stretching a bit despite the mental-body not actually having muscles to pop. He grinned down at her, putting his hands on his hips. "So! Let's get training. You know that Rai-on Ju-su, righ-?" Ino nodded in response as the world began to crumble around the two, though she paid it no mind, responding to her father instead.

"Ye-, I know it. _**Rai-on: Para-**_..."

Her words were cut off as the world, and memory, suddenly shattered into pieces... A blinding light filled the now empty void...

* * *

… as Ino opened her eyes, groaning from the sudden rush of sunlight in front of her. The memory of her training session with her father was still fresh in her mind, though she didn't end up getting to the training session from the memory, and she felt a brief moment of confusion from the sudden change in scenery and the concerned expressions of her teammates, Naruto and Hinata, staring down at her. With her eyes half open, the girl started to sit up before falling back down onto the grass as a wave of her most recent memories hit her.

She had been sparring with Anko and tricked the woman into substituting near her, instead of just dodging out of the way of her attack... With Anko distracted and not expecting an instant attack after swapping her position, Ino had jumped on her and then...

 _A blinding pain washed over Ino as her head was struck hard by Anko's fist slamming down on her. The woman had let out a very loud scream while she attacked, as well, making Ino temporarily have a hard time hearing as well. With the loss of her senses for that brief moment, she had no way to react as kunai and senbon seemingly exploded from Anko's body, stabbing her on both shoulders and sending her flying backwards._

 _Since they had been in mid air during the exchange, Ino was sent flying back towards the branch she had leaped from, only this time she was in no position to latch onto it with her chakra. The back of her legs slapped harshly against the branch, forcing her body to flip backwards from the hit. With her body flipping over the branch, Ino got a good view of the light leaking through the tree tops before Anko's form suddenly appeared above her._

 _A fist was the last thing Ino recalled before everything faded to black..._

… Which was now mirrored in her current situation, due her eyes were shut tightly from the rush of memories and pain. The latter, however, was mild and seemed to only be around her left shoulder for the most part, but also a strange stinging sensation on her palms.

 _'Probably just because of my overuse of **Parusu**.' _ A part of her mind offered, reasoning that all that electricity she used earlier might have burned her skin. _'I need to get a better Jutsu to use for my techniques... Anko-Sensei probably knows one...'_ A throb of pain echoed through her body at the thought of the sadistic teacher, reminding her of her current situation, which caused her to let out a groan of annoyance.

"God... dammit..." She let out as her eyes slowly cracked open, allowing her to see the worried expressions of her teammates once again. They seemed to be saying something too, most likely commenting on her words, but she couldn't really make it out through the slight buzzing that started to go through her head. The buzzing started to fade after a moment, but Ino started to close her eyes again, not wanting to deal with the irritating light shining down on her. The lack of buzzing allowed her to hear what her teammates were saying as they stood over her.

"...-ink she said something. Is she okay?" Ah, that was Naruto, without a doubt. The concern in the girl's voice definitely touched Ino's heart.

"H... Her chakra pathways s... seem normal, t... though a little burnt on her hands..." Ino noted to herself that Hinata seemed to improve on her stuttering habit. The Hyuuga usually let out three or four more for long sentences like that. "I... I'm not sure An... Anko-Sensei healed them like she said she did..." Ino wished she could snort in annoyance at Hinata's words.

 _'Did she even heal me at all?'_ The wounded blonde thought, letting out another slight groan, realizing she had a sort of dry feeling on the top of her head. _'Ugh, that's blood, isn't it? That shit is hard to get out. It's also a good thing I don't live with Daddy anymore, or he'd flip.'_ Her eyes slowly tried to crack open again, though much slower, to the point where she could only make out her two teammates to be black blobs. Their voices still came clearly, at least.

"At least they gave her a pillow." Naruto pointed out, making the groggy blonde shift her head slightly out of instinct, noticing that Naruto was correct and there was indeed something under her head. It didn't feel that soft, however, and not exactly like the pillow Ino was used to laying on, but...

"Er... That isn't.. um... That isn't a pillow, Naruto-Chan. That's uhm..." Hinata's voice paused and so did Ino's body as a cold dread began to set throughout her body, just as her eyes opened enough to see the nervous expression on Hinata's face and Naruto's confused one staring at their blue haired teammate. "That's uhm... a snake." She muttered the last part, but its impact was loud as Ino suddenly felt her body shoot up to its feet.

Her teammates stared at her with wide eyes, both clearly not expecting such a sudden action, and were caught off guard when Ino suddenly shot past them in a sprint. Despite the amount of pain going through her body from moving so suddenly, the girl continued to move briskly towards the edge of the training field. With her eyes wide open as well, Ino felt them burning from the light, but made no attempts to close them as she kept her gaze locked on the destination ahead.

Her mind had only one thing to add to the situation.

 _'NopeNopeNopeNopeNopeNopeNopeNOPE!'_

Her teammates, and one large grass colored snake that was easily as long as Ino was tall, could only stare.

* * *

 _ **Chapter... END! But wait, that's not all!**_

* * *

 **Tales of the Kunoichi Extra: A Blooming World**

 **Part 1: Flower Petals**

There were many places to go in the Land of Fire. Different towns, mountains, villages, and even castles were littered across the land. People filled these locations to their breaking point and even more traveled between them; either to sell their wares or to simply explore the world. Others stood on the side, only entering towns when they wished to refresh themselves, and instead focused on gaining a profit by those that traveled between them. Typically through violent means, which left the travelers in a state of fear and panic whenever they stepped out of town.

That's where Ninja came in.

Though most of them worked only for profit, it was a profit many were willing to pay so long as it meant the safety of their bodies... and especially the valuables they had to sell. Despite this, most merchants or travelers would only buy a Ninja for one trip and then buy another for a different trip. Keeping a single Ninja, or a group, so busy for so long was very pricey. This is why escort missions were more common than guarding missions; only the well off merchants could reasonably afford such a price, at least for an assured defense.

But that didn't mean guarding missions were very uncommon, either. There was always a handful of Ninja outside their respective villages guarding important figures. Either people that didn't want to die, _shouldn't_ die, or were under heavy fire and _expected_ to die. The latter was typically considered a suicide mission for Ninja, unless the threat was well known to the point that there was no reason for them not to take the fight to the ones going after their employer. Such a job was usually sent to the Samurai of the Land of Steel, or whatever Samurai happened to be serving a the Daimyo of the land the guarding job was taking place. They were widely considered to be better body guards than Ninja in most situations, since they always put their employer above their job, unlike the Ninja who valued being paid than defending their honor.

In most situations, at least.

This led to a rather difficult relationship between Samurai and Ninja. Some compared it to the ire that stereotypical cats and dogs had with each other. The Cats, which were Ninja, always wandered from master to master, serving whoever fed them. The Dogs, which were Samurai, stood at the ready to defend the first one that had offered them a home. Despite this difference, they ended up working together quite often for the very rich who could afford them. Which led to some Samurai becoming friends with some Ninja, and vice-versa. Something most didn't even consider to be a possibility, unless they saw it themselves...

* * *

"And here you are! Two Storm Beers, straight from Rain Country!" A burly bartender laughed, slamming two large glass mugs down onto the counter in front of himself. The man rubbed at his beard with another laugh, looking past the two he had just served to the rest of his large bar. As expected, it was noisy with a jaunty tune playing from a large jukebox in the corner, though the music could barely be heard over the laughing and yelling of the various men and women taking part.

There were at least forty, if not more, people drinking in the bar, each being seated at large round tables with food and drink being served to them by scantily clad women who danced across the floor with trays held above their head. Some people tried to grab at the waitresses while they danced across the floor, but were easily brushed away by the girl's free hands, or _roughly_ tossed across the bar itself if they attempted to try anything too forward. This always happened, regardless of who tried it, because anyone who could actually get past the swift hands of the waitress typically didn't want to anyways. They were better than that.

But just because it always happened didn't mean anyone learned their lesson. So there was always at least one person flying across the room, never landing on another customer's table, but always landing awkwardly on their back, laughing the whole time. This exchange, along with a mixture of other things, led to the bar becoming rather famous over the years, until it was now one of the largest and most popular buildings in all of the Land of Fire.

The building itself was a massive tower with five floors to it, each reinforced with metal to keep them steady from any form of damage. Large windows with gold edges were on the third and fifth floor, with regular and smaller windows on the first, going out to the street of the town it resided in. The larger windows at the top floor showed nothing but a very regal looking hallway with various paintings lining the walls of famous lords and kings from other towns.

The third floor, however, had a clear sight of the bustling bar and its many patrons. While no noise escaped the building, the light and laughing faces were more than enough to attract even more customers, even those that believed themselves to be above such a thing. Some noble born men that thought they were too important to be seen, or heard, laughing with a crowd of ruffians that spent most of their days sleeping on the dirt.

But once you stick a drink in a man's hand, it'd be hard for him to not drink it down like one.

This was shown to be the case as one of the two whom the bar keep just served grabbed his mug, tipping his head back and chugging the thick blue liquid that filled it. A quarter of the way down, he slammed his mug on the table, letting out an audible gasp from the electricity running through his system now from the drink. He shuddered, briefly running his fingers through his short black beard and shivered, his bright gray eyes blinking in an attempt to regain his focus.

"What a strong flavor it has..." He muttered to himself, straightening up in the stool he sat in. He was one of the men that no one expected to be in such a bar, even one as famous as this, and his outfit alone was explanation enough as to why. He wore a long dark blue kimono with a gold outline to it and a gold sash tied around his waist, glistening slightly even in the dim light to show off its worth. Wooden sandals covered his feet and his kimono's front was opened slightly, showing off the man's well muscled chest to some extent, and the sash on his waist had a long blade strapped to it. The sheath's end tapped against the ground with every movement he made, or at least against the stool he sat on.

But the most notable thing, or at least the first thing anyone would notice about his person, was the top knot he had his hair pulled back into, creating a ball on the back of his head that slightly drooped down in the back. The second thing anyone would notice was the golden symbol plastered onto the back of his kimono, which was a large gold flower with five petals, each pointing sharply in different directions at their ends. The center of the flower had a even smaller flower inside with five petals as well, pointing towards the petals that made up its outline.

This made it clear to anyone that saw him that he was not a normal man. He was a _Samurai._ One that lived and would die by the blade. Not only that, but the marking on his back made it clear that a very powerful house had made their claim on his person. He was owned by the Golden Flowers of the Land of Fire, a powerful organization and family that held the reigns to most merchants in the country. That alone made him someone to be avoided, because anyone with connections that high would have ways of getting rid of someone.

Either with their own hands, or simply by telling someone else to do it.

This resulted in the previous customers that were sitting at the bar to have distanced themselves, each going off to an empty or already occupied table to get away from the man. The one exception to this was the one who came in with him, who gave him a coy smile while she sat on his left, her eyes full of mirth while she stared over at him.

"You invited me to drink without having ever tried it? I'll admit, that's quite adorable." The woman cooed out with a soft chuckle escaping her lips, using the back of her hand to hide her mouth. This woman had no marking on her body or clothing to indicate she was associated with the Golden Flowers, yet she had walked beside the Samurai as an equal. She was wearing a long black dress that had black straps going over her shoulders, curving over her decently sized chest and having two long slits across the sides for her legs to slide out of. Her backside was also nicely outlined by the fabric, leaving just enough to the imagination for people to ponder over it, yet still enjoy the sight as it rested upon the stool under her, while her feet were covered by thin heels that clang slightly against the pole holding the stool up. The dress shimmered in the light that hit it, typically shining at the same time as the woman's emerald earrings that hang down, both being simple oval shaped gems being held by a gold chain to the woman's ear.

She had long and soft looking brown hair that hung down her back with the left side going completely down that half of her face. This left her eye, and ear by proxy, covered up by her silky smooth hair for anyone that viewed her from the left. But for the Samurai, he had a clear view of her warm brown eyes staring at him, along with the amused smile she wore on her almost diamond shaped face with a rounded chin, causing his own face to flush red appropriately.

"Hm! I was merely expecting a... thinner flavor, that is all, miss." He cleared his throat, glancing over at her with a stern look on his face... which was slightly countered by the red filling his cheeks. "Besides, as I recall, it was you who insisted upon dining at this establishment and testing my experience in such situations." His words were met with another soft laugh from the woman, her hand sliding up to cover her mouth with her wrist before she lowered it once more, grabbing the handle of the mug in front of her.

"Indeed I did, but I do not recall claiming you should get one of the stronger drinks they had... For both of us, no less." She told him with her lips tilting up into a larger smile, looking down into the blue filled glass for a moment. "But do not fret. I have no reason to not accept." The woman leaned back, unknowingly gaining a lot of admirers when her chest stuck out, and began to drink from the glass. But while her pace was slower than the man beside her, the drink seemed to disappear even faster without a drop spilling onto her form. After half of the mug was cleared, she lowered it from her mouth, her eyes sparkling with pleasure from the drink's strong flavor. "Mm... It is quite strong. The name is certainly fitting."

The Samurai gaped slightly at the sight of the woman, who was much thinner than he was, taking in a larger amount of the drink itself without batting an eye. His face glowed red in embarrassment and the knowing smile she sent his way made it clear she was fully aware of her victory over him. He let out a huff of indignation, grabbing his own mug again and nodding his head. "Indeed. But I will say it still lacks something in the regard of filling my stomach." The woman rolled her eyes a bit at his round-about way of speaking, watching as the man looked up towards the bar keep, clearing his throat slightly. "So for that, I would like to order some food, if that is something this establishment does." The Samurai's request was asked in a very formal tone, something one would expect from a man sitting at a Lord's table; not one sitting at a bar's counter.

But if the owner was annoyed by the formal talk, he didn't show it. Instead, he gave the Samurai a hearty laugh with a broad smile on his face, nodding his head. "Certaintly! What'll ya have? We got various meats from places 'round the world, so just take yer pick." The large burly man boasted, getting a slight nod from the Samurai.

"Then I'll have..."

"We'll have the Crescent Platter, if you would." The woman interjected, resting her elbow on the counter and letting her chin rest in the palm of that arm. The large man gave her a grin and a thumbs up, walking off into a doorway behind the bar, between several shelves full of bottles, and disappeared. The Samurai gave her another huff, his eyes closing and his arms crossing.

"I do not recall requesting that you order for me. Nor did I plan on ordering that." He grumbled, making the woman chuckle softly, since she was aware he had no idea what to buy. But she kept that mostly to herself, instead regarding the man with an amused look before turning her gaze back to her drink.

"Mm... Perhaps, but I know you. We've been at this for awhile now... I know you'll like it. It's all fish." The man's eyes opened wide for a moment before closing again quickly, coughing into his fist.

"A.. Ah, I see." He exclaimed, his face flushing and he _felt_ the woman's smirk burning his cheeks, which is why he kept his eyes closed so he didn't have to look at it. It irked him that she was able to read him so easily. "Sushi, is it? I had thought you weren't fond of that type of..."

"It's not sushi." She corrected, interrupting the man who frowned a bit in confusion. She lightly drummed her fingers on the handle of her mug, her right leg briefly sliding up and then crossing over top the left. "It's..." The door crashed open and both looked up at the sound, though the Samurai only cracked an eye open, staring in bewilderment at the large tray of fish being placed in front of him.

"Served!" The burly man who placed it yelled, a wide smile on his face. "Hope you enjoy! Just give me a holla' if you need anything." He began to walk off without waiting for a response, his loud voice echoing across the room when he began to greet another person at the bar.

The Samurai stared at the platter and slowly poked it with his fingers, a frown on his face. "What... is this, exactly?" He asked, turning his head to look at his partner who smiled at him, using a pair of chop sticks on the platter to stab into the food and then slowly cut it apart by spreading the two sticks away from each other. The sight confused the man even further, for he could sense that there was not a lick of chakra in her movements and the chopsticks themselves were just simple pieces of wood, as far as he could tell.

"It's fish. Eat up." The brown-eyed woman replied, giving him a smile before lifting up a square piece of fish with a gentle grip of her chopsticks. She popped the food into her mouth and chewed, while the man looked down at his dish with a wary look in his eyes. It was only the slight smirk she sent his way, just for an instant, that made his confusion die down into an urge to defend his honor and he began by mirroring the woman's previous movements, cutting the fish slowly with the chopsticks.

The reason for his confusion was due to the "Crescent Platter" being completely different than he had expected. Instead of a plate of different cooked fish he expected, it was a massive fish that was curved nicely into the shape of a crescent moon. The scales had already been removed from it, but still left a silver glow to the meat of the fish, which was already silver to begin with. The tail was also cut off, leaving just a curved tip with the head following suit, leaving both at a sharp point that curved inwards, all served on a silver platter.

If not for the thickness of the fish and the slight curve of its mouth and eye sockets, which were lacking eyes, the fish may have passed for just a painting of the moon.

The platter also had three small cups, each about the size of a shot glass, in the area where the fish's body curved away from the center of the platter. Each cup seemed to have a different liquid glowing inside it, with one being a dark red color, another being a gentle yellow, and the last being a creamy white. The chopsticks had been placed delicately on that side as well beside the cups, but now they were held by the man's hand, hesitantly raising a piece of the fish up to his mouth.

He gave the woman another glance, watching her dip another piece of the fish into the dark red sauce, quickly putting it into her mouth before it dripped down. He frowned at the sight and let out a sigh, putting the fish in his mouth and slowly biting down. The Samurai stiffened, expecting a lot more resistance than he got, but he kept biting down regardless. The sudden explosion of juice, covered in a strong flavor that was amplified by the electricity of the drink still lingering on his tongue, made the man visibly recoil as if he was just struck.

The samurai gulped down the juice and meat, looking over at the woman with his eyes wide. "My word!" He gasped out, earning a slight chuckle from the woman who hid her mouth with her wrist, keeping him from seeing her amused smile. He continued regardless, too lost in the rush of pleasure to care that she was laughing at him again. "I have never tasted such a flavor filled fish before. How does such a creature hold such power, yet is able to be cut so easily by my chopsticks?" His question was met with another chuckle from the woman, who slowly put her hand down with her chopsticks slowly cutting into her own fish again.

She waited a moment before answering, gulping down the bit of fish that had been in her own mouth and smiled, also enjoying the flavor the fish gave her. "It's a special type of fish found in the Land of Lightning, near the top peaks of the high mountains. Its body is very light and fragile, like paper, letting it fly through the air and use the clouds that cover that land like streams to find new places." She held up another cube of the meat, dipping it down into the creamy white liquid this time with an amused look on her face. "They're quite interesting creatures, aren't they? They're deceivingly light, but they can retain a lot of liquid, which mixes well with some herbs from Mist and Fire."

She moved her chopsticks to the side, slowly dipping the meat into the yellow sauce, mixing the two sauces together on her meal while the Samurai watched on. "They take the herbs and mix them together into a special broth, then fill the fish itself up with it. The fish absorbs the broth greedily in its light body, then they pour out the remainder and use it as a coating, before finally cooking the fish after its flesh tightens to retain the broth. They cut the parts off that don't contract and thus, the Crescent Platter is made." She held up the sauce covered meat with her chopsticks, letting some slowly drip down onto the plate. "If I had to accurately describe the flavor, I suppose it would be like eating a bubble of juice... if the bubble was chewy." She chuckled softly, glancing over at the man who was staring at her with wide eyes, to which she arched an eyebrow at with her ever present smile growing slightly in size.

The Samurai jumped a bit, his face flushing again while he quickly looked away, realizing he had been staring at the woman a bit _too_ much. "Ah, I was... I was not aware you were familiar with such fine cuisine." The woman laughed a bit, covering her mouth as always, to which the man frowned at, starting to pick up another piece of his own fish.

The woman just rolled her eyes slightly, wiggling her chopsticks slightly in the air above her plate. "Sorry for laughing, dear, but there's a lot you don't know about me. Despite our years together, this may be only the third time we've been able to speak freely." The woman's remark was met with a slight cough, followed by a much heavier one as the man choked on the fish in his throat, to which the woman just stared at. She watched as he grabbed his mug, chugging the thick liquid quickly and gasping once he pulled it away, putting it gently on the counter. "You alright?" She cooed, already knowing the answer, but enjoying the flush to his face as he sent a mild glare her way.

"Yes. I would not be defeated by such a small creature." He boasted with a huff, starting to cut up another piece of the fish, though he continued to speak regardless. "And what are these sauces? You seem keen on trying all of them." His remark was mostly due to the woman dipping her already dripping food into the last cup, coating it in all three sauces and watching with an odd look to her eyes as they dripped slowly onto her plate.

"I'd hope you were alright." She stated, leaning back slightly in her seat with a smile. "And as for the sauces... They're rather typical. Red is several fire leaves from the northern part of our country. Yellow is the mild tangy sauce from Earth country, made from some of their stranger flowers... and the last I'm not sure of the direct source of, but I am certain it is made from the eggs of chickens. Possibly some from Lightning." She shrugged, popping the meat into her mouth and chewing, a pleased look coming to her face from the mixture of flavors exploding in her mouth. "They're quite good." She muttered with a mouthful of food, starting to cut up another piece while she chewed.

The man stared for a moment before nodding his head, beginning to dip his own fish piece into the white sauce. "Hm, I suppose I will try them as well." His statement was met with just a slight nod from the woman, as if she didn't expect anything else, and the two began to sit there, enjoying each others company and ignoring the loud crowd behind them...

… At least until five minutes later when the doors were suddenly kicked in and a large armored man walked into the room, effectively silencing the entire room with his sudden entrance. The waitresses and bar keep paid him no mind, going about their business without a word, but almost everyone else's eyes were on the man as he walked forward. The man's iron boots clanged heavily against the ground and his black iron chest piece shined in the light, while his helmet hid everything from sight, including his eyes which were hidden by the shadows of the metal plate that went over them, leaving only the smallest slit for his gaze.

Despite this, it was clear to everyone that this man was a man of action. Not only was he clad in heavy armor that he moved about in with ease, but his stride was purposeful and proud. The biggest thing that set everyone on edge, however... was the man himself, because there wasn't a single person in the room that didn't have to look up to see his face. The man's broad shoulders and tall legs demanded that all be below him...

… and yet the two sitting at the bar paid him no mind, still happily eating the fish and drinking from their mugs as if they had not a care in the world. The armor clad man stopped beside them on the woman's left and he cleared his throat once before speaking. "You two are hereby ordered to come to the master's chambers at once. It is a matter of most importance." His voice was just as loud as his armor, echoing across the room with ease and some assumed it might have done that regardless of the silence filling their location at the moment.

But the other two continued to ignore him, both taking a bite of fish in unison and grinning from the taste.

This caused the much larger man to bristle, annoyed at being ignored, and he began to reach out towards the woman's shoulder. "I said..."

A blur was all he saw as the woman disappeared from her seat and he briefly began to turn his head to look around when he saw a piece of wood suddenly enter his vision, forcing him to close his left eye out of instinct. His other eye was wide open, staring at the woman who stood with one leg on the stool she was sitting on while the other was resting upon the bar counter beside her plate, allowing the already tall woman to tower above him. She stared down at the normally imposing man with a cool smirk on her face, her eyes half open and full of amusement.

The tall man shivered, but did not pull away, knowing that such a movement would be his death. Sweat went down the side of his face at the same time a drop of sauce left on the chopstick threatening his eye dripped down onto his cheek, made him shiver from the hot feeling mixing with the shame and fear he was feeling already. The woman smiled upon seeing him shiver, her free hand raising up and gently cupping the side of the man's helmet, grabbing on to a piece of the black metal with her slender fingers.

Slowly, she began to speak, with each word coming out as a silky, yet firm tone, as if a snake was speaking to him. "I do not... follow orders. I accept requests. Now... If you'd kindly rephrase and rethink your position, I may just listen." She leaned down, giving him a good chance to see the outline of her chest, but his eyes were locked onto the brown orbs staring down into his through the slit of his helmet and he felt the chopstick briefly poke against the lid of his eye. "Flower or not... Do not think I will hesitate in _plucking_ off a petal..." She whispered softly, licking her lips slowly at the sight of the man's whole body shivering in fear.

It took a moment for the man to find his voice, and even longer for him to properly use it, feeling as if each one brought him closer to death's door. "I... I h...humbly request that you... you join the master in his quarters, m.. miss..." He stuttered out and let out a heavy sigh of relief when he felt the chopstick being pulled back and he shivered again from the woman patting the side of his head.

She smiled at him, her gaze still staring down at him like he was nothing more than a child. "Good boy. Run along now. You may tell your master that we'll be along shortly." She declared with a small wink, watching the man hastily nod and turn around, stomping out as loud as he came. The woman watched him go with a smirk before slowly lowering herself back down to her stool, chuckling gently while she grabbed at her mug, starting to drink the last bit of her Storm.

The Samurai beside her sighed, shaking his head with a light flush to his cheeks, swallowing the last piece of fish he had on his plate and giving his partner a half-lidded stare, ignoring the murmuring and bustling of the other patrons beginning to start up again. "Must you do that every time he gets a new messenger?" He questioned with an amused, yet tired tone, having seen the woman intimidate many messengers that attempted to order either of them around. Although the Samurai himself had no reason to be upset by the commands, the woman always responded in a negative fashion, typically by threatening them with the end of their life.

To which she just shrugged, letting out a pleased noise after she finished off her drink and put her mug down, beginning to stand up with a smile. "One day one will learn his place and bow to my feet before attempting to speak to me. Until then, I will simply ask that he know his place and only request things that come from our so called 'Master.'" She boldly exclaimed, turning her head towards the bar keep and snapping her fingers once to get his attention. When he turned his head, she smiled at him and gave him a wink, "Place this on my tab, Kiro." The large man gave her a thumbs up in response before turning away, speaking to another customer about their order.

The Samurai just shook his head a bit, slowly starting to stand with her and he sighed, watching the woman walk out of the bar. He placed his hand on the hilt of his blade while he walked, unable to take his eyes off the sway of the woman's long brown hair. A stray thought slowly drifted through his head, one that he may have squashed if he was completely sober, but he wasn't, so it drifted by almost unnoticed.

 _'You are a wild woman, Yamanaka Serow.'_

* * *

 _ **Extra... END!**_

 **A little bit of a world building one instead of a focus on Konoha like I have been doing. The length, being 8 pages surprisingly, was also to make up for the very short chapter. Now for a bit of trivia stuff I guess.**

 **For the extra itself, it was meant as a world building and set up for later junk, but it was actually something I planned on doing later. Then I got down here and realized that I had no real reason other than trying to figure out "when" this happens to not do it. Of course, it kind of got rid of some of the "surprise" since I put the mention of Ino's mother in the same chapter she's somewhat introduced. Hopefully the conversation and junk was enough to make up for that loss of surprise.**

 **Although I'm curious if anyone didn't guess who she was by the end. I felt it was pretty obvious!**

 **Trivia about her name: The Serow is a Japanese animal typically found in the woodlands of Japan. It's a goat-antelope creature. The name itself was originally going to be Raion, for Lion, making her a "Lion among the Mountains", but I decided to go with "Serow among the mountains" due to some information I read about the animal often being confused with a Boar.**

 **I thought the idea of her being confused for her daughter, who _is_ "Boar among the mountains" to be rather cute. Hell, if she had blonde hair and blue eyes, they'd look exactly the same! Though Serow is older, so maybe not quite _exactly_ the same, and their hair-swoop is on the opposite side... Hm.**

 **Her appearance is also based on the anime-only showing of Ino's actual mother. Only this one has lost the pompous look and, instead, a more regal one. A lady of the night, if nothing else.**

 **More of her stuff will be gone over later along with some more world building while I set up stuff for the next "real" arc. That being said, we're pretty close to that, but at the same time I haven't actually got to writing it. Weird, huh? Anyways... For stuff about the _actual_ chapter...**

 **Hopefully that "fight" up there cleared up what happened between Ino and Anko and why the woman was so rusty. To clarify, though, the two Jounin haven't actually sparred or been out on serious missions for quite awhile. While they do light katas and junk when they're getting ready for bed or after they wake up, it's not exactly the same as sparring... Plus most of their free time is taken up by training the girls now, too.**

 **Fun stuff though: Anko is actually better at healing Jutsu than Kurenai. Even though Kurenai has better chakra control for her Genjutsu, she's just not quite as knowledgeable about the human body like Anko is. But anyways...**

 **What extra do you guys want for the next chapter? More world building, probably with Ino's mom, or some Naruto Clone stuff? Ibiki won't be touched for awhile, but I've got a few plans for Rat and Mouse at least. They're cute, although I'll say you'll probably only get one or two extras regardless of whatever you pick. I've got one planned for later already.**

 **Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed! Sorry it takes so long to get these out.**


End file.
